


When Dawn Breaks

by SmilingLoon



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Action, Adventure, Character Development, Cool Aoko, F/M, Friendship, Maturation of Characters, OOC Aoko, Romance, Strong Female Characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 38,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24971962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmilingLoon/pseuds/SmilingLoon
Summary: Nakamori Aoko is sweet and naive, an innocent, ignorant of her best friend's criminal behavior. But what if she wasn't? She is fire, brilliant, burning fire, and Kaito can't help but fall more in love. OOC Aoko. AU where Aoko isn't so innocent or ignorant. Because I wanted a more involved female love interest.
Relationships: Kudo Shinichi/Mouri Ran, Kuroba Kaito/Nakamori Aoko
Comments: 18
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

The birth of Nakamori Aoko was something that the Nakamori-Kudo family had celebrated in a small hospital room at the University of Tokyo Hospital, followed days after by the arrival of her cousin, Kudo Shinichi. 

Both happy couples, or at least the mothers, had spent hours gushing over the wrinkly, pink bundles. Ginzo had poked one skeptical finger into a pudgy cheek, questioning whether his wife had lost her sanity for calling the odd, vaguely human-like form ‘cute’. Said woman had promptly glared at him for his daring, which had the usually bold officer quickly raising his arms in surrender. 

“Oh, I can’t wait for them to be able to walk and talk. I’m sure they’d get along great,” Rina, Ginzo’s rather intimidating wife, cooed over her pudgy pink blob as her sister-in-law did the same. 

“Shin-chan and Aoko-chan will get along great,” Yukiko agreed happily. Yusaku, who had been fairly quiet in all of this, still hadn’t raised his eyes from the newborn clenched tightly in his wife’s monopolizing arms. A part of him wondered if the poor man had gotten to hold his son yet. 

“And we’ll have such fun taking Aoko-chan shopping,” Rina agreed merrily before gently placing her daughter in her husband’s arms. 

“O-oi! Rina, I don’t know how to hold her,” he scowled, trying to give her back to her mother. “And what better time to learn?” she gazed back calmly with those oh so familiar blue eyes. Eyes her brother shared. Would his daughter, currently sleeping soundly (and he prayed that didn’t change anytime soon), also inherit that brilliant shade of blue? He hoped she did. 

“But what if I drop her?” he tightened his arms around the small bundle. And just as his luck would have it, his daughter woke up. He braced himself for screaming and crying, as he had read that babies, especially newborns, did. Instead, she just looked up curiously at him, squinting adorably with those bright blue eyes. He knew she couldn’t really see him but he couldn’t help but feel pinned by those eyes. Eyes that seemed to hold the galaxy in their depths.

And he knew he was in love.

A part of him still believed he was dreaming, hearing about Rina’s pregnancy, walking through it with her, and even standing beside her as she gave birth. But the moment he had held her in his arms and she had stared at him with those big blue eyes he knew this was real. He was a father. He had a daughter. A child to love, to care for, to protect with his life. 

“Well, it looks like Aoko-chan has her father wrapped around her finger already,” Rina’s dry voice interrupted his internal monologue. 

Yukiko giggled, “True. Ginzo-chan, if you look any more dazed we might have to send you to the nurses ourselves,”

“Maa maa, Yukiko. He did just hold his daughter for the first time after all,” his brother-in-law reached for his son again. This time Yukiko allowed him, making sure Shinichi was properly positioned in her husband’s arms. As calm as the man usually was Ginzo could make out the absolute wonder on his face as he gazed into the blue eyes, the same blue eyes his daughter had, of his son. 

All too soon, the woman reached for her son again, but this time brought her up to where Aoko laid in her father’s arms. They turned in unison as their cheeks met and Ginzo could see them gazing at each other. If not for the knowledge that newborns could barely see blurry shapes Ginzo would think that the two of them were sizing each other up. And apparently finding the other satisfactory, grinned widely at each other. 

Yukiko chortled, “Well it looks like they’ll be great friends.” Rina nodded enthusiastically, overjoyed at the thought that the son of her best friend and her brother would become her daughter’s friend. Seeing the matching smiles on the women’s faces Ginzo couldn’t help but shiver at what the two had planned. He could see a lot of clothes and photo albums filled with pictures in the near future. 

But that future had never looked so bright.

* * *

It was apparent from a young age that neither child was normal, though Ginzo honestly hadn’t expected them to be. There was no way that someone who bore such a likeness to his brilliant wife, and the son of her equally brilliant brother would be. But he hadn’t expected the sheer intelligence that either child had shown from such a young age. 

Intelligent enough that the books he read on how to amuse her bored her. He could tell the same of little Shinichi the few times he had been unfortunate enough to babysit them both. It was hard keeping an ordinary toddler engaged, and nearly impossible to do so for two young geniuses. 

But for all that Aoko was absolutely exhausting, more so than his police work, she was also his precious baby girl. And when she looked at him with those big blue eyes he could feel his resolve caving in. Which was why his wife always yelled at him to make sure she ate her vegetables instead of him eating it for her, or to make sure she went to bed on time and he didn’t let her spend the night reading just because she pouted at him.

* * *

By four, Ginzo realized that his daughter’s blue eyes were different from Shinichi’s. They both rang with intelligence, but hers different, even more intense than even her mother’s. 

Her eyes were as penetrating as the rest of the Kudo family, but they were different. They were special. They didn’t ring with the calculative intelligence that Yusaku’s did, or the eerie concentration Rina’s did, or even the confident focus Shinichi had. Her eyes were knowing.

No, his daughter gazed at someone like she could see their soul. She looked at them like she saw their vulnerability and their weaknesses. And a part of him wondered if those searing blue eyes would be even more intense as she got older. 

Because Nakamori Aoko was definitely not ordinary. There was no way she could be, with the family she had. But there was something special in her. That much Ginzo could see.

* * *

Shinichi liked Aoko. She was smart and fun and made their games far more enjoyable. And she definitely didn’t like the makeup, and the dress up, and the picture-taking sessions his mom loved to have. He supposed that for a cousin he could have gotten a lot worse. 

He liked being with her though because she was the only person besides his father that could keep up with him. They had spent many fun afternoons playing Holmes and Watson, and even better she seemed to enjoy being Watson so he could play Holmes. It was fun guessing what the people around them were like, and seeing a piece of their lives without even talking to them, even if Aoko made sure that he didn’t talk like Holmes to the people he met. 

So when they had their playdate interrupted and Rina-obaasan telling her it was time to leave, he had mutinously grabbed her arm and declared that she couldn’t leave. It had nothing to do with the fact that he liked her. It was just that he didn’t have anyone else to play with since all the other kids didn’t like Holmes because they couldn’t read advanced kanji yet. 

Aoko had turned to him and looked at him with those blue eyes, the same color as his own, for a moment before she grinned at him. She grabbed his pinky with her own and intertwined them, “I’ll definitely come back again, Shin-chan,” her eyes flared mischievously for a moment, “You look like a male version of me. See, we have the same brown hair and blue eyes. That means we’re connected and nothing can break us apart.”

“Barou, that’s just because we’re related,” he couldn’t help but drawl back, refusing to entertain any thoughts of mystical forces engineering their next meeting. 

She smiled and her eyes sparkled, “Duh. Family sticks together, ya know.” 

He couldn’t help but smile back. He knew that they looked similar, they were related after all. But it was nice to hear it the way she put it. Like they had a connection that no one could break, and their appearance was the physical proof of their unbreakable bond.

* * *

When Yusaku had seen his little niece darting around their mansion with her equally little cousin he couldn’t help but think of his sister. The sister who had always had a smile on her face and that sparkle in her eyes. Blue eyes just like him, but oh so very different. He looked at a person and deduced their secrets from their physical form. She looked at a person like she could read his mind. And how so very fitting that her daughter had eyes that could see even deeper. 

She was no ordinary child, even her father could see it, but not even Yusaku could guess what she would become. Something extraordinary, something dazzling. 

He only hoped it didn’t end the same way it did for her mother. 


	2. Kaito Becomes Kaitou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As a kid, he never thought he would become Kaitou Kid. As a teenager, well, plans changed.

The moon rose over the dark Tokyo skyline. Lights shone from every inch and crevice, evidence of the level man had risen to since he had conquered the night. Buildings towered hundreds of stories into the air and clouds drifted above unseen. 

High above the buzz of traffic and crowds of people though, it was quiet. The only sound was the rush of the chilly winds as it rode over the city. 

Or it was until the shrill screech of an alarm tore through the night. Inside the building it was uncharacteristically dark, the sole void in a city of light before it suddenly lit up. Every room in every floor shone brightly, as though someone had flicked on the power for the entire building. 

On a certain floor, swarmed by police, stood a figure in white. Gem clutched in his fingers, he faced the police with more confidence than he should have given both the rank and number of his opponents. 

“I’ve been waiting, Kaitou Kid. It’s already been eight years,” the leader stood in a green suit. “I’m placing you under arrest this time!” 

And yet, without so much as a tremble he tossed the diamond at them, the gem exploding into smoke as it did. It permeated the air, covering the entire room in artificial fog as the man in white fled up the stairs. 

“After him,” Nakamori-keibu ordered. He hadn’t bothered to cover his mouth after he realized that the smoke wasn’t able to knock them out. His men moved as he ran down a different hallway, to the room with the security cameras.

“Team Alpha, get to Area B3 on the 5th floor,” he ordered. “Team Beta, head to Area C6.” Suddenly, the fleeing figure disappeared, surprising both officers in the control room. 

“Impossible!” He rushed out the door to the floor of the corridor where Kid had disappeared from. And indeed, there was nothing there. But as he looked closer one of the tiles in the ceiling had been lifted. 

“He’s up there. After him!” the order came, causing the men to rush past. One by one they managed to get up the ladder. The force though caused the ladder to fall, just as the plaster at the end moved and Kid’s form became visible again. 

Nakamori-keibu stepped into the light to face him, “Kid, for so many years I’ve- No, how long have I chased you? I, Nakamori Ginzo, would never fall for such a simple trap,” he boasted. His words went unheard as there was no reaction from his opponent.

Instead, Kid rushed at him and mid-step his body disappeared leaving only his head and hands visible, stunning the officer. And with that, the figure burst out the window of the skyscraper and escaped into the night. 

* * *

Aoko had decided a long time ago that bright sunny days brought the most misfortune. Given the amount of sunlight Tokyo as a whole received through the year it would be reasonable to state that most crimes happened on sunny days. It was a pity though since dark skies and pelting rain truly did set the atmosphere of a murder. Unfortunately, given the ratio of sunlight to rain, that atmosphere was rare and often fleeting. 

Which was why when she had woken up that morning to a cloudless sky and birds chirping as sunlight streamed through her windows, she knew _something_ was going to happen. She just had no idea what. 

“Oh come on, Aoko, just because it’s sunny doesn’t mean something bad is going to happen,” Keiko rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms in front of her. 

“I didn’t even say anything,” Aoko raised an eyebrow. Keiko huffed and rolled her eyes, “You didn’t have to. You always get that scowl whenever it’s too sunny outside.” 

“I do not scowl.” 

“You do,” Keiko confirmed matter of factly before moving to sit in Kaito’s seat. “Your eyes narrow and your lips press together. Besides, I didn’t think someone related to a detective would believe in the supernatural.” 

This time it was Aoko who rolled her eyes, “It’s not like I believe ghosts or yuki-onna exist. I just have a decent understanding of my life, and past experience says that something is definitely going to happen.” 

Keiko pressed a hand to her face and made a thoughtful sound before she suddenly lit up, “Maybe you’re right. Maybe there is something going on.”

Aoko gave her a mistrustful glance, “You look unusually happy about that,” and Keiko’s eyes lit up as she pulled out her phone. Aoko gave her a puzzled look before reading the title, “Kaitou Kid Returns?” 

The phone was taken back suddenly as Keiko scrolled through the page and pointed at a picture of the jewel the thief was supposed to steal. “Yeah, maybe your bad feeling is because of him. A famous thief suddenly returns after an eight year hiatus and it’s a jewel worth more than a mansion at that.” 

She hummed, “Kaitou Kid, huh? A thief that sends a notice to the police before he steals. How arrogant.” 

Keiko sighed at her as if disappointed by her lack of a reaction. She clasped her hands and gazed up as if praying, “He’s so cool, with his magic tricks and that charm and that-” her words were cut off by Aoko pushing a hand up against her face. 

“Enough already,” she groaned. “That thief you’re swooning over is as old as your father.” Keiko wrinkled her nose in annoyance, “Don’t ruin Kid-sama for me, Aoko. Besides, he has enough charm that it doesn’t matter how old he is, he’ll always be Kid-sama.” 

_‘Tell me that when you see Kid up close, wrinkles, mustache and all’_ , Aoko humphed. 

Keiko gave her an unimpressed look, crossing her arms and pouting. Whatever she was about to say though was interrupted by the door bursting open and a certain magician careening over the desks and promptly using them as a defense against the girls running after him. His distinct laughter piercing through feminine screams for justice. 

“Well, there’s one idiot who could take a lesson from Kid. In manners if nothing else,” Aoko sighed, resting her face against her palm as Keiko gave a nervous puff of laughter. Where Kuroba Kaito was concerned, you never knew whether to expect too much or too little. 

“It looks like the girls are out to get him for peeping in the locker rooms, again,” Keiko surmised. Aoko wasn’t surprised by how quickly her friend had come to that conclusion. Those girls chased after him a few times a month at the very least. And though it wasn’t always the same girls, by now they had become used to seeing a gaggle of girls squawking after him like irritated geese. 

“He never learns,” she sighed. Kaito said something to one of them and tossed the lock to the one in front of him, which promptly grew into a flower. Quite literally, considering she had just witnessed a plant’s life cycle before her eyes. 

Her lip curled when she lip read what he told them. As always, he behaved like a hormonal baboon. Kaito turned at just that moment and met her eyes, freezing for a moment when he realized she was looking at him and the smile dropped from his face. She gave him an unimpressed look and he broke eye contact as he moved away. 

“Looks like Kaito-kun was frightened,” Keiko observed. Aoko refrained from saying that fear wasn’t what had been on his face.

“That boy fears nothing. I know from experience,” Aoko countered lazily. 

“He has good reason to fear you,” Keiko continued, as though she hasn’t said anything, “that look in your eye could terrify a ghost,” 

“Ghosts are usually the ones that do the terrifying,” she corrected, giving only half her attention as Aoko looked out the window at the cloudless sky. If that wasn’t a terrible omen she didn’t know what was. 

“Exactly,” she blinked at the sudden sound, breaking out of her thoughts. 

“Aoko definitely deserves that reputation,” came a masculine voice from above her. She tilted her head upwards and there stood the magician they had just been talking about. 

“How am I more terrifying than the embodiment of twisting the laws of nature for your own vengeance?” she questioned. The idiot grinned back, “Well, the ghosts could only manage to possess my body, but you punch harder,” 

“You just named why ghosts are more terrifying than me, Bakaito,” 

“Yeah, but they don’t exist, so you win by default, Ahouko,” his grin seemed to widen as they continued to argue about a subject that was both impossible and ridiculous. She sighed, whenever she talked with Kaito it seemed like her brain cells decided to go on leave. 

“This one does,” Keiko’s sudden pronouncement drew Kaito’s eyes, especially since she had put her phone just under his nose so he had to go cross-eyed to see it. 

“Kaitou Kid? Hah, he’s nowhere near as cool as I am,” he boasted. 

“Tell me that when you aren’t chased by teenage girls for being a monkey,” she said dryly. Kaito faked a hurt expression before retorting. 

“Impossible, I can’t be beaten,” Kaito said confidently. Keiko sighed at the two as they bantered over who was the better magician. She shook her head as she watched the two. It had been like that for as long as she had known them, forgetting the entire world when they were arguing with one another. That world presently consisted of the classroom and one very irate teacher. 

“Ano, class has already started,” their sensei started in resignation, knowing it wouldn’t stop their chattering. Heads turned to watch the drama as it appeared that their bickering wouldn’t end anytime soon, despite being used to the sight for the past two years. 

“Will the two of you please sit down?” she tried again. Keiko felt a bit sorry for her, but there wasn’t any surprise in her tone so she knew the woman hadn’t really been expecting her words to do anything. 

“Please, you’re the one who can’t seem to not talk familiarly with me,” Aoko griped. It seemed they had switched topics again. Their arguments always seemed to cover the most random topics, and changed abruptly enough that they left Keiko lightheaded. At this point, they had learned to just leave the duo to their own devices. 

“Kekeke,” her partner laughed. The two were nose and nose as they played a thoroughly practiced script. 

“Kuroba Kaito,” well it seemed Konno-sensei had finally snapped, “solve this expression.”

“Sure thing. 2xy,” the magician had the nerve to add a dramatic flair by throwing a card at the board. “Squared.” 

Konno-sensei sighed before moving on to the other one, “Correct, Nakamori Aoko, solve this one.”

“X root 3 over 2,” she responded immediately, without even bothering to move her gaze from her opponent. “That’s right,” their worn-out teacher sighed. Keiko supposed she couldn’t blame her teacher for her reaction, especially since this was practically a daily occurrence. She wouldn’t be surprised if the two’s antics had worn down more than a handful of their previous teachers. 

“My magic is the greatest in the world,” Kaito held out his arms as if it was an unavoidable outcome. “No one can top me,” 

“Prove it,” Aoko challenged, arms crossed. Those who had known them for any time more than five minutes sighed. For all their intelligence, which they had displayed quite aptly, the two seemed to revert to children if they were around each other for too long. 

“Oho,” Kaito laughed, “I can’t refuse a challenge. Looks like I’ll have to have a showdown with this Kaitou Kid.” He was moving as he spoke, magic shooting out of his sleeves and across the floor. Soon there were little slips of confetti both in people’s hair and on their uniforms. By the time he had finished speaking he was standing near their teacher. Their very exasperated teacher. 

“Kaito-kun, enough already,” she screeched. Her waving hands stopped as Kaito caught one and brought it to his lips, causing Aoko to roll her eyes. “Sensei, due to the dawning of an important mission, I, Kuroba Kaito, must take an early leave,” 

The woman blushed, as did a good portion of their female classmates, “Good work today,” she swooned. 

“Why does that charm of his only show when he’s in trouble?” Aoko sighed as Kaito jumped out the window. As usual he was the only one who could get out of going to class and simultaneously gain the teacher’s permission to do so. 

“He’s more trouble than he’s worth,” she muttered under her breath, looking around at all the confetti and other small debris he had left for them to pick up. No doubt Konno-sensei would make her stay behind to clean the classroom at the end of the day. “How annoying.”

In the end though, she was right. Something was going to happen. Something she could never have predicted. 

* * *

In the middle of the city stood a building distinct, not in its appearance but the script that ran down its length. The MPD, the center of all police work in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, was the bureau that handled Tokyo’s cases: arson, homicide, theft, fraud, cybercrime, each division had its own tasks. 

And it was in one such office that Inspector Nakamori was seated when the one event he had been waiting eight years for finally happened. It was a standard room, with tiled floors, uncomfortable furniture, and the one giant window behind the Inspector the sole source of natural lighting. 

“We’ve got evidence in the Suwa Corporation embezzlement case,” one junior officer rushed in and his partner was quick to follow up with the implications, “we can bring this to trial.” 

Their sudden shouting jolted the man out of his intense staring at the screen and instead of lighting his pipe, accidentally burnt himself. “Sir, this is no time to lounge in from of the TV. There are other cases to-” 

“Shut up! Kaitou Kid is my life’s work and I’m staking my career on this,” he pounded the desk. It rattled under his strength and the two straightened into a salute, “Yes sir!”

He went back to staring at the report of Kid’s return. The two officers under him took a step back as a near maniacal grin took over his face, “Hahaha, I’ve been waiting for you, Kid. Eight years, seven months, and 26 days. You’ve kept me waiting, but I knew you were alive,” and with that he burst into another round of laughter. 

“Otou-san, if you keep laughing like that your officers will think you have a few screws loose,” came a distinctly feminine voice in the midst of various baritones. Aoko walked into the room as easily as if it were her own home. 

In a way it was. When she had been little she had often accompanied her father to his office when her mother had been busy on set. And afterwards, she had accompanied Shinichi when Yusaku-ojiisan assisted the police. By now, she was familiar with most of the officers in the station, especially those in homicide and fraud, enough to know them personally. 

“Oh, Aoko,” the laughter stopped as he eyed his daughter quizzically, choosing to ignore her remark. She took far too much after her mother for him to think she had more bark than bite. 

“I’ve brought dinner. With Kid reappearing I thought you would appreciate having food since you’ll have to stay late, and a change of clothes,” she explained, placing the bag on his desk. All it really was was a few boxes wrapped in cloth, a simple bento, and his suit.

“Ah, thanks Aoko,” he turned to her and glanced momentarily at the food before turning back to her with a grin. “We’ll have a toast after I catch Kid.” He raised an arm exuberantly, “I’m giving it my all this time. Ah, it’s been a while since I’ve been this fired up.”

She smiled at the sight. It really had been a long time since she had seen him so excited about something. She was a bit worried he was so happy a thief had gone back to stealing, however. Aoko tilted her head, “But Kid just came back yesterday. Would he really reappear again so soon?” 

“Inspector!” The cry drew both of their attention to the man, who was pointing at the TV, where a woman was announcing a sudden report. “A notice has just arrive from Kaitou Kid: ‘Tonight at 23:54, I will steal the gemstone known as the Eye of the Moon from the Ono Bank” 

She blinked, “Well he’s certainly eager to make up for lost time,” and then sighed in fond exasperation as her father started laughing boisterously. 

“We’ll be celebrating tomorrow,” 

“And he’s certainly making up for lost enthusiasm,” her lips quirked up almost unconsciously. “What a fitting pair.” Either way, at least her father seemed pleased with the recent development. 

“I packed some extra clothes for you as well, Otou-san,” she told him as she laid out what she had brought. He nodded at her before barking instructions at his officers. 

“Listen up! Kaitou Kid’s trademarks are his cape and silk hat. Engrave that into your brains,”

“Sir!” 

“Eight years ago he vanished and yesterday he suddenly reappeared. I may not know what he’s up to but I’ll arrest him this time,” the mere thought made him grin. 

Aoko untied the purple cloth and took out the bento box she had prepared and set it aside. She had pressed the suit and left it on a hanger but since there wasn’t a hanging rack in his office she decided to drape it over the back of his chair instead. Knowing her father he would be too busy directing everything and too energetic to sit down and ruin the press. She picked up the bento from where she had placed it on his desk and placed it on a table behind it instead. That way it wouldn’t get in the way and placed a bright colored note on it so he wouldn’t overlook it before leaving.

“Bye, Tou-san,” she waved before leaving out the door. Megure-keibu had wanted her statement on one of the murders she had been present for a few days ago and she still had to shop for ingredients for dinner that night.

* * *

“The magician thief from eight years ago has returned. What is his true identity?” Kaito closed his laptop as he pondered what the news anchor had said. 

“Kaitou Kid, huh?” He laced his fingers together. “Eight years ago, that’s when Oyaji died.” 

He stood up, gazing up at the poster that hung on the wall of his room. He didn’t usually put up posters, but there was one that had stayed in position for more than half of his childhood. 

It was a portrait of Kuroba Toichi. He stood as confidently as he always did. The photographer had caught him in the middle of an act, doves flying about him and confetti still in midair. There was a smile on his face, one that showed just how much he loved his craft, a smile that Kaito missed more than anything. 

“There’s only one magician I can’t beat,” he said, laying a hand on the surface. “Kuroba Toichi.”

IIIIIIIIllllllllllIIIIII

_A long time ago, in a darkened room, full of silence and bated breath, Kuroba Toichi stood at the stage, as confidently as ever. He seemed unaffected by the spotlight and the vast audience, like he was at home doing a magic trick for his family and not a room full of strangers._

_The spotlight moved as he did, winding his way through the audience. He stopped at the chair of an old man and raised an arm. The chair instantly began to rise, and the old man let out a startled cry. Toichi smiled and gently placed him back down._

_“That’s my dad, isn’t he amazing?” Kaito burst out, turning excitedly to his companion. Theirs was the only table full of children in the room._

_“He is. But that doesn’t mean_ you’re amazing _,” she didn’t so much as turn to look at him, too enraptured in the show. On her other side, a dark-haired boy that looked much like her snorted._

_“She’s got you there, Kuroba,” he smirked._

_“No one asked you, Kudo. It’s not like you can do it either,” Kaito stuck out his tongue at the boy. Instead of a something amazing like a magician Kaito couldn’t believe he wanted to be something as mundane as a detective._

_Aoko looked across the table and exchanged a sigh with her near double. Ran shrugged. Whenever the two boys were together, they somehow ended up arguing._

_“Hey you two, stop ruining the show,” Sonoko hissed as her attention was drawn from the act to the two increasingly loud boys. Aoko nudged Kaito as Ran did the same to Shinichi. If they didn’t quiet down soon they would attract attention from the other tables and disrupt the show._

_“Now, now. You should be nice to your friends,” the voice of his father caused him to look up. Almost as one, the children’s chairs began to lift up. Sonoko shrieked as hers lifted and Ran gasped and clutched Shinichi’s hand. Aoko blinked and looked around at the distance from the ground._

_“We understand,” they said in unison, and the chairs lowered again as Toichi moved on._

_“That was amazing,” Sonoko’s eyes were as bright as the spotlight as she grinned at them._

_“It was surprising,” Aoko and Ran said in unison, before the two blinked and shared a smile. Kaito grinned at them._

_“I told you my dad was amazing, didn’t I?”_

_“It was impressive,” Shinichi relented under the combined stares of the others. “But that doesn’t have anything to do with your abilities.”_

_“What did you say?” the girls sighed as the two began again. “Why I ought to-” his voice cut off at the combined glares of their companions._

_“Stop distracting us, you two idiots!” Sonoko added. Under their combined pressure neither dared to say another word._

IIIIIIIIllllllllllIIIIII

Suddenly the portrait moved and it fell back making Kaito stumble forward. He fell into a dark room. It was dimly lit, with lights hanging from the ceiling and items in every nook and cranny. It was a surprisingly large room and he noted with slight incredulity that there was a car and several work tables. 

“Was this Oyaji’s workroom?” he questioned. The sound of a mechanism drew his attention to the record player in front of him. It was a large piece, and more elaborate than the ones he usually saw. Custom designed then.

As the record began playing his eyes, widened, “That’s Dad’s voice,” though it seemed that the record had become faulty with how long it had sat and collected dust. Just then a box rose through the floor and the edges opened, almost like a wardrobe and revealed a white suit.

The staff, a magician’s staff rolled out and stopped at his feet. He picked it up and twisted the cap curiously, surprised when a hang glider popped out. What was this? And why did his dad have it? 

“Dad, just who on earth were you?” He didn’t miss how similar the costume was to Kid’s own. Did that mean that his dad was somehow related to Kid? Was he Kid himself or a partner? The dates between his father’s death and Kid’s disappearance were too close to be considered a coincidence. 

“It looks like the best way to unravel this is to find Kaitou Kid,” and draped the cape over his shoulders. It fit perfectly, almost as if it had been made for him. 

“Kuroba Toichi’s final magic trick. It’s my job to solve this,” as he looked in the mirror. And before him stood not Kuroba Kaito, but Kaitou Kid. 

* * *

Aoko hummed as she strolled down the isles of the store. She would have to buy more food since she was preparing for the next two weeks. Ran had her karate tournament soon and she had promised (lost a bet with) Sonoko that she would accompany her while she shopped for clothes for the next Suzuki party, one she would inevitably have to attend. 

Just then her phone buzzed and she smiled in anticipation, already knowing who the person who had texted her was, and the ID confirmed it. In a fit of pique she had texted Chikage-obaasan, Kaito’s mother, to ask him about his weakness. 

It had been done while she had still been mad at Kaito, and though her anger had faded, she was rather curious at what could possibly bring Kaito to his knees. 

_You’ve asked me about Kaito’s weakness. Actually, of all the things he’s most afraid of, its fish_. 

Her eyes widened at the last word before a smirk broke over her lips. Had her father been there he would have trembled at how similar she looked to a Goryo. Inside the lair of his internationally wanted father, Kaito shivered. 

“Oh, right, I need to buy a present for Ran,” she remembered suddenly. Her tournament was soon and given how she had been runner up last year she would most likely win this year. So long as nothing unexpected happened that is. 

She glanced around. There was nothing in the grocery store she could buy Ran, and she had already bought the ingredients for dinner. Stepping outside, twinkling lights caught her eye and drew her to a small store. From what she could see inside it was full of items for girls. 

She pushed open the door and stepped inside. A quick browse wouldn’t hurt, especially since she didn’t have any pressing appointments. She skipped by the beauty product section. Even if Ran did like something from there she had no idea what was good and what wasn’t. Maybe she should have brought Kaito with her. 

Stationary? Hygiene products? A cute strap for her phone? What counted as cute anyway? Or for that matter would she even like what Aoko had chosen? Did she like frogs? 

Frowning, Aoko put down the Gekota strap. Without a clear idea of what to get she could be here for hours. That was when her eye caught a flash. A simple T-shirt was folded innocuously beside her. She smiled. It was perfect. 

“I can’t wait to see Ran’s face when she opens this,” at the very least she and Sonoko would have a new reason to tease her. 

There was no doubt it was the perfect present. Picking it up, she carried it over to the cashier to purchase it. After purchasing it she stepped out the door, happy at how the day had come together.

She had bought dinner, found Kaito’s weakness, and a new way to tease Ran. She tapped her chin with a finger, _‘I wonder if I can make her wear the shirt?’_

The look on Shinichi’s face would be priceless. And Yukiko-obaasan would probably like pictures. 

Those who were unfortunate enough to see the dark smirk on her face as she was scheming flinched and shrank back. She, however, was too busy planning to notice the path they had left open for her. 

* * *

Deep in the center of a building, standing in front of a wall of screens, Nakamori-keibu ordered his officers, “It’s almost time. Stand by your posts and remain alert. Just eight seconds left.”

He began counting down the seconds, his voice echoing through all police communicators. They waited with bated breath as the time came closer to his designated arrival. Heartbeats increased and hands clenched in preparation. 

“One,” Just as he finished, the lights switched off. “The emergency lights! Turn on the emergency lights!”

At the same time in the room displaying the gem, an officer boldly strode forward and shattered the glass barrier. “Kaitou Kid!” was the sudden chorus. The thief laughed before throwing a smoke bomb and vanishing. When the smoke cleared, the jewel was gone. 

Footsteps sounded as Kid fled. “I’m not letting you go this time, Kid,” Nakamori swore. “After him!” They chased him up the stairs and through the corridors when he suddenly vanished. 

“Don’t be fooled, he’s not up there,” Nakamori pointed at the wall, “He’s in front of you. Charge!” And with that dozens of officers ran headfirst into the stone wall. 

“Damn it!” He swore when he realized he’d been tricked. His attention was soon drawn by Kid’s next actions, though.

“I-impossible. That’s the 50th floor,” The thief burst through the glass just as he had the night before and glided through the air. “He’s flying?” 

Calming down, Nakamori began barking orders again, “Target escaped to Main Avenue and is heading west. Hurry there immediately. Team Alpha, get him from the east. Beta, go north. Gamma, from the south. We’re cornering him there!” 

The sounds of police sirens increased as car after car drove down the streets. With their headlights and the eye-catching color of his suit, it was easy for the police to keep him in their sights. As he flew down the streets, more than one officer couldn’t help but compare him to Superman in their heads. 

As he landed, the cars stopped and officers piled out, dogpiling him until he burst. And it was apparent when he did that rather than the thief, it was nothing but a decoy. A ballon spouting confetti. 

“A balloon?” 

He’s going to burst!” 

It’s remote-controlled?” 

High above, still in the office, Nakamori’s jaw dropped, “A balloon?” 

Far away from the chaos, a panting figure climbed onto the roof. He huffed in exhaustion, the path up having taken more energy than he thought. Only to find a figure in white facing away from him. 

Cape billowing in the wind and face turned away he could still make out the attire. It was a direct copy of his own. 

“Dropping a dummy and climbing up instead, “ the figure said as he turned, “That’s an old trick. If that’s all you have then you’re not worthy of the name Kaitou Kid,” 

“Who... Who are you?” 

“I’ve been waiting for you, Kaitou Kid,” and with that he turned. And Kid saw an exact replica of his own costume, down to the mask. He tensed, still in the guise of a police officer before he tore it off, and the trick he had planned rendered his body invisible to the human eye. The distinctive hat and mask remained, the only other visible part being his hands. 

“Then, can you see through this trick?” he challenged.

“You must be joking. A trick like that is child’s play,” his imposter laughed. Despite his claims, Kid had to admit that his calm was admirable. 

And then his mask shattered. The card his imposter had shot had cracked it and his trick was revealed. 

“Covering your body in mirrors and blending in with your surroundings, making it seem like your body had completely vanished. An elementary trick,” came the voice from behind him. That smooth confidence and cool tenor could only belong to one person. 

“T-Toichi-sama! Y-You’re alive?” the surprise brought him to his knees but that he didn’t let that stop him. On his knees he took the hand of the man he respected more than any other, and on the verge of tears, “It’s good to see you well after all this time.” 

Seeing that he didn’t respond, that his expression showed no signs of recognition, he went on, “It’s me, your old assistant, Jii,” still there was nothing. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me after only eight years,” he begged. Toichi-sama had finally come back and it seemed he no longer recognized him. 

“Jii-chan?” Finally, he had said something. 

“I had lost all hope of seeing you after the incident eight years ago,” he confessed. “I figured if I took on your identity as Kaitou Kid I could lure your killers out into the open.” 

He bowed his head, waiting for the man to scold him. He knew Toichi-sama would never have wanted him to put himself in danger for his sake but all these years the despair had grown in his chest until it burst and he could no longer sit still. 

“What did you say?” The voice sounded appropriately shocked, and even horrified as it’s owner came down to his level. “Dad was murdered? By who? Who killed him?” 

Oh dear. “You couldn’t be...” there was only one person who- and if he was right that was the last person he wanted to find out about the truth of Toichi-sama’s death. “K-Kaito-bochama” 

“Be honest with me, Jii-chan,” Kaito-bochama’s voice tightened. “Was my father... a thief? Was he Kaitou Kid?”

He hesitated, wanting to deny it, wanting the boy to be safe. But he knew that the Young Master already knew and nothing he said now could negate what he had already said. 

“Answer me!” Still he hesitated, but he knew that he could not say no. He could not deny the injustice Toichi-sama had suffered. Not even to his son. 

“Yes,” the word came softly, almost brokenly. Toichi-sama hadn’t wanted Kaito-bochama to know of his father’s alter identity. 

“I see,” and the true Kid stood up. Jii kept his head lowered, “Toichi-sama, I, Konosuke Jii, have made the gravest mistake of my life. I revealed the one thing I was forbidden to reveal to the Young Master.” 

The moment was interrupted by the arrival of the police. “Found you, Kaitou Kid!” There was no mistaking that boisterous tone. He looked up when he felt darkness surround him again. 

“I’ll distract them. You get out of here, Jii-chan,” Kaito-bochama held his cloak over him to protect his identity. “But Bochama-” 

He heard a soft laugh, “I’m not your Young Master, anymore. I’m Kaitou Kid,” Jii could hear the smirk in his voice. Yes, it held the same confidence Toichi-sama’s did, the same unflinching resolve even as helicopters surrounded him, bathing the entire area in a sea of light. Perhaps he would be fine after all. 

“Run for it Jii-chan,” he commanded. And drew the police’s attention by darting away. Jii hid behind one of the pillars, staying out of sight of the police. 

“Stay safe, Young Master,” he said as the police chased Kid to the edge of the roof. The phantom theif raised his arms and his cape billowed behind him in the wind. 

“What are you doing?” Nakamori roared. 

Without so much as a hint of fear, Kid let himself fall back, much to the police’s horror. Then his form rose in the air high above them and burst into flame before it all disappeared in a puff of smoke. 

“What just happened?” was the general consensus among the confused investigators. 

“Kid’s costume was lifted by a crane,” the helicopters reported. “He just detonated a dummy.” 

“Damn. He did it again,” Nakamori cursed. Just like eight years ago, he lead them on a wild goose chase before disappearing. 

Below them, the Magician Under the Moonlight smirked before disappearing into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: You know, in the anime when he charmed the teacher into letting him leave early, I was like what if Jodie-sensei were his teacher instead. Sonoko did describe her as very strict and demanding when it came to her teaching style. I wonder how it would turn out. Charismatic thief vs. hardened FBI agent, dun, dun, dun...  
> Also, about that stuff I said about the MPD and the Tokyo area, I have no idea if it’s right. If it’s not please correct me;  
> Goryo: a vengeful ghost, usually from the aristocratic class  
> Kudos to anyone who caught the little reference to other series. I’ll definitely be adding more so feel free to point them out.  
> Also, I’ll be mixing up the order of the series and episodes to fit the story better; I’ll keep the big events in line but I might move fillers and other stuff around, or change when they happen in relation to other things; this is definitely going to be the case with MK, and since it’s very episodic it’s alright.


	3. Meitantei-san to Tantei-kun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our favorite detective encounters something life-changing.

Aoko stepped into the stadium and stopped at the top, panting as she looked around. She had missed the train here and had barely made it to the Karate Regional Championships in time. It seemed that Ran was the one competing, judging by the distinctive triangle. She smiled when she managed to land a kick to the abdomen.

"One point. She wins," she grinned. And now she just had to wait for the cheering to tell where the others were. As if on cue she heard Sonoko's voice and smirked as she made her way over.

"Amazing, amazing. Ran is amazing," Sonoko cheered.

"Hmph. It's a piece of cake for her. It's because she gets her competitive spirit from me," Mouri Kogoro boasted. She snorted. It seemed like the old man wasn't wasting any opportunity.

"I pray she doesn't inherit the habit of being carried away and then get run over by reality from you," a distinctly feminine voice sounded. Aoko sweatdropped. So Eri-obaasan was here too. She stepped in before they could start arguing.

"I don't think you have to worry about that with Ran," she said, taking a seat beside Eri.

"Hey you! Where have you been all this time?" Sonoko accused. "It's the finals right now,"

Aoko scratched her cheek, "Sorry, sorry. Kaito said he was busy today so he couldn't drop me so I had to run here."

"Isn't this place at least half an hour from your house," Sonoko sweatdropped. Aoko shrugged, "Which is why I ran," indicating her still short breathing. It had just started to even out.

' _Karate fanatics and their ridiculous stamina,'_ Sonoko thought.

Aoko glanced down instead. At least she had made it for the most important part. She was going to talk to Kaito later about canceling plans suddenly, especially since he was friends with Ran, too. What did he even have to do on a Saturday morning? From below she saw Ran look up and heave of sigh of relief when she saw her. She shook her head, silly girl, of course she came to cheer her on.

Aoko looked around, "By the way, where's Shinichi?"

Sonoko waved a hand, "Oh him, he got a call from the police. They're probably calling him in for a case."

She sweatdropped, "Ran isn't going to like that,"

"Ran, do your best at the final battle," Sonoko stood and shouted at Ran's retreating back. "Come on, you encourage her too."

Aoko rolled her eyes, but cupped her hands, "Ran, you better win this thing." The three around her sweatdropped, ' _Why does that sound like a threat?_ '

" **The final sparring match between female martial artists is about to begin,"** The voice of the announcer blared over the gym.

"He's not seriously going to miss this, is he?" Aoko glanced around the gym. There wasn't a sign of her cousin.

"It just goes to show how similar you two are," Sonoko teased.

"At least I came!"

"One comes late and the other leaves early," Sonoko shrugged.

Aoko sweatdropped, ' _That isn't the same at all,'_

"Oh well, it looks like both your boyfriends are equally unreliable," Sonoko switched topics.

"How did you even get there anyway?" Aoko asked dryly.

Sonoko pouted, "Mou, it's not any fun teasing you. You never react,"

"That's why I don't," she said dryly.

"Still, Ran is going to be furious when she finds out," Aoko sighed as the final match began. "Well, nothing we can do about it."

She crossed her arms as the match began, with both girls bouncing on the balls of their feet. Her eyes narrowed, watching both intently.

"Aoko, if you continue to look so serious your face will stay that way," Sonoko poked her side.

"I can't help it when it comes to a match," she complained. "It's the best way to read your opponent and find out how to counter them," she said as Ran aimed a kick at the other girl, who dodged.

"Yes, yes, continue the same way, Ran," she heard Kogoro encourage beside her.

Her eyes narrowed, as the match went on and the difference between the two became apparent. The one in red was calm, smiling even. It was clear she was concentrated and clear minded. Ran, though, was beginning to get frustrated with her inability to carry through her attacks and becoming overly emotional. If this continued she would lose her ability to think clearly and would attack with abandon. Her frown increased when Ran fell to one knee as the other girl attacked.

"Calm down, Ran" she muttered. If she couldn't keep a clear head then she would lose despite being the more powerful fighter.

' _It's the weakness of every fighter, but you especially need to be able to think clearly, Ran.'_ Her hands tightened on her arms. If she didn't regain her cool she would lose. She eyed the match as it resumed and given the change in intensity, or rather how both girls were giving back in equal measure, it seemed Ran had managed to regain some of her cool.

But it wasn't enough. She crossed her legs. Objectively speaking, Ran was a better fighter than the girl in red. But, she was also a very hot-blooded person, and someone who was likely to feel the pulse of the match rather than see it. If the other girl managed to get Ran off balance again she would gain victory.

' _The first opponent every master must defeat is their own mind,'_ she gritted her teeth when Ran was driven to the edge of the sparring area.

"Geez, what are you doing Ran?" Aoko muttered. She looked up in surprise when she heard Sonoko exclaim the very same, though much louder. "Fighting spirit! Spirit! Will power! Guts! Lots of Guts!"

She made a face, "What are you doing, Sonoko?" Though, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to hear a bit of encouragement. It was too bad Shinichi wasn't here as well, even if he would never have shouted encouragement like Sonoko.

Speak of the devil, her eyes caught on a figure in blue at the very edge of the stadium, near the exit. So he hadn't left after all. His waving caught Ran's attention, and she leaned forward to read his lips as Ran did.

"Jiken," she read out loud. "That idiot." Well, he certainly had guts to say it to her face.

She winced when she saw the expression on Ran's face and the way Shinichi bolted out. She needed to calm down not get angrier.

As the aura around Ran grew, she tilted her head. She knew how powerful Ran was when she was angry. There was a reason people said that was when she was the most terrifying, after all. And she had taken out a lot of criminals that way. Aoko rested her head on her hand, elbow pressed into the armrest. And indeed, within moments of them once again sparring, Ran had taken the lead, this time overpowering the other girl. It was almost anticlimactic how quickly the match had ended given the way it was going before. Even the referee looked surprised. Considering how she had won, Aoko supposed she couldn't blame him.

* * *

After the match had concluded, the entire group had gone down to congratulate Ran, exchanging hugs and congratulations. Immediately afterwards though, Ran's parents had gone their separate ways, with Eri-san going back to work and Kogoro-san heading off to a case. The three girls had decided to celebrate, per tradition, after Ran had showered and changed.

Coming back, the three walked down the streets together, towards Sonoko's house. As usual, the butler greeted them when they entered.

"Welcome home Sonoko-sama. Welcome, Mouri-sama. Nakamori-sama," he bowed.

As they passed through the hallway Sonoko and Ran gushed about the cheese tarts, "I ordered two boxes so we could all have enough,"

"Eh? But they don't allow people to make more than one order," Ran gushed.

"That's the Suzuki family for you," Aoko rolled her eyes as Sonoko grinned triumphantly, "Oi, oi, don't look so proud you little knucklehead." And with that Aoko rubbed her knuckles against Sonoko's head as Ran tried to hold in her laugh. When Sonoko managed to escape Ran couldn't help but burst out laughing as Aoko ran after her. Soon the walls echoed the sounds of their laughter as the three ran down the halls they knew as well as their own homes.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to be loud though?" Ran asked nervously, suddenly realizing Sonoko's parents might have guests over.

"Don't worry, after last time my parents made sure I know when they have important people over," she waved away.

Aoko grinned and nudged Ran impishly, "Besides, even if we did get in trouble we have Ran with us so Tomoko-obaasan will let us off lightly,"

Sonoko grinned beside her, "Right, right."

Ran sighed, "Mou, you two are hopeless," she said as the two exchanged grins.

"That's why we have you, Ran. The model of what we should have been," Aoko exclaimed as she wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Our guardian angel," Sonoko added.

"Does that mean I should be harder on the two of you?" her eyes twitched.

Aoko immediately assuaged her, "Please don't. We already have your mom and Sonoko's mom for that."

"And Yukiko-san, sometimes," Sonoko added. Aoko shuddered, remembering a particular incident from her childhood.

As they were talking Sonoko drew them towards her room. It was a giant room with several large windows that allowed natural light to flood it. The three sat on her bed as usual, talking and laughing as they always had. Aoko reached over and placed the cheese tarts on the table near the bed.

"Eh, that's right," Ran suddenly realized, "How did you manage to find Shinichi and me anyway?"

Aoko raised a hand and responded dryly, "She found me first and decided to track you down, too,"

Sonoko shoved her hand down, "Enough of that. Let's dig in," she brought the box down in between them.

"Are you sure we should be eating on the bed, Sonoko?" Ran questioned, looking back at the table.

"It's fine, besides, the housekeepers will clean it up anyway," she waved the concern away.

"Besides, it's comfortable here," Aoko said, lying on her side. Ran gave her a rather put out glance but sighed as Sonoko did the same. In the end, she stretched out as well, the three forming a giant, misshapen triangle around the box. She supposed they were just lucky Sonoko's bed was big enough to fit all of them.

"And the first order of business," Sonoko clapped her hands, drawing their attention. "Congratulations to Ran for winning the championships!"

"Eh? No, no, it's fine," Ran tried to protest, blushing at the second round of congratulations.

"You're already blushing?" Aoko smirked at her, poking a finger into her cheek. "Careful, if all the blood rushes to your face too quickly, you might just faint,"

"Mou, enough already," Ran tried to glare but the redness of her face ruined the effect.

"Hai, hai. Open your present," Sonoko enthused, pushing a wrapped object into her hands.

"You didn't have to buy anything for me," Ran protested.

Aoko huffed and shoved it to her, "Of course we didn't. But we wanted to. Now hurry up and open it,"

Ran sighed, but took it, though she merely gazed at it for several moments. "Hurry up and open it," Aoko nudged Ran. The girl nudged her back playfully before carefully unwrapping it, causing Sonoko to impatiently order her to get on with it.

"A bag?" Ran held up the insides. "And it's a nice one too."

Sonoko grinned mischievously, "Yup, and it was designed just for you. There's even a little compass attached if you get lost."

Aoko burst out laughing as Ran threw a pillow at Sonoko. "Hey, be careful of the cheese tarts," she warned.

"Why is it attached like that, Sonoko?" Aoko asked curiously. Rather than a part of the bag, it was separate, attached to a chain.

"Ah, I was going to give the compass as a consolation prize if you lost," Sonoko explained sheepishly. Aoko burst into a new round of laughter as Ran blushed.

"You really are something else, Sonoko," Aoko shook her head. Then she leaned over and picked up the bag that she had laid on the chair closest to the bed and withdrew her own gift.

She handed it over to Ran, who was about to open it, but she stopped her with a hand, "Before you open it, I want you to know that I'm calling in that promise you made when you lost the bet we made when we graduated middle school,"

"You're calling that in now?" Sonoko gaped. It was so far back that she had completely forgotten about it. She didn't even remember what they had originally bet on, just her own mood after Aoko had thoroughly trounced them.

"Why do I feel like it isn't anything good?" Ran narrowed her eyes at Aoko. Having practically grown up with her she knew that the other girl had a fondness for trolling others. She thought it had be inspired, at least in part, by Kudo Yukiko (which was true, though she had forgotten to take into account every other influence in the trio's childhood).

Aoko merely grinned back at her, "Open it." Ran eyed her suspiciously before turning back to the present and she threw Sonoko a smirk over the other girl's head. Sonoko's eyes widened when she saw her expression before she gained a smirk of her own. That particular smile was one the two shared, mostly because it was the one they got when they were teasing Ran and Shinichi, usually about each other.

Carefully opening the wrapping, Ran was surprised when inside was a simple box and opened the lid… to reveal a T-shirt. Giving her a confused look, Ran unfurled the shirt. And promptly blushed.

Sonoko took one look at the shirt and threw her head back laughing. Ran tried to glare at Aoko but it was ruined by her trying to imitate a tomato.

It was a simple white shirt, but the image on the front was what had caused the fuss. In all his printed glory, Kudo Shinichi stood as proudly as ever, on hand extended and his famous catchphrase printed on the side.

It had been rather surprising to see Shinichi's face on a shirt, but she supposed that given his popularity it wasn't surprising. She had even seen some Kaitou Kid memorabilia lying innocuously around the store. Given the thief's ambition to make up for lost time she guessed that it was a wise business decision.

"I want you to wear that on your date to Tropical Land with Shinichi," Aoko smirked at the look on Ran's face. Sonoko was still trying to get her breath back.

"I- you-he-" she was too flustered to speak and Aoko finally took pity on her.

"It's okay, you can tell Shinichi I made you wear it," she said mock sympathetically. "But you still have to wear it,"

"It's brilliant," Sonoko praised. Ran ignored them both.

"I was going to give you an Emilio shirt I saw but I thought you would like this more," she smirked.

"You should have just bought me the Emilio shirt. I can't wear this in front of Shinichi," Ran wailed. She would die of embarrassment if she had to wear this on their day at Tropical Land.

"A bet is a bet, Ran-chan," Aoko shrugged. Sonoko was still struggling to stop her snickering when she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh right, I have something for you too, Aoko," she stood up and moved to the table where she had kept a box and brought it back to the bed.

"A karate uniform?" She questioned, taking a look at the box.

Seeing her confused face, Sonoko explained, "Yeah. We designed a uniform for the two of you. You can't wear it in official matches but we thought you would still like to use it for training. It's better fabric and it's easier to move in. I even had a small part in the design."

Aoko blinked but accepted the present, "Thanks,"

Ran smothered a smirk when she saw Aoko cluelessly accept the present. She had happened to be checking over the design of the uniform the other day when she had come across Sonoko's addition. Knowing Aoko, she wouldn't bother to do the same before wearing it and so would miss the message on the back of her collar.

She wished she could be there for when Aoko did realize what it said though. Or see the look on Kaito-kun's face when he read the small script.

Revenge truly was a dish best served cold.

* * *

Aoko stepped into the Kudo mansion and headed straight for the library. Even if it had been a long time since she had stayed behind these walls, she knew it intimately. Especially the library.

The library was most likely the most beloved room in the Kudo manor. It was filled with books of all sizes and shapes, and all mystery books. Or at least most of them. With his career as a novelist, Yusaku often ventured into the fields he included in his novels to bring an air of reality to them and the after effects of his research loitered in the library.

It was a large room, the largest in the entire manor. Even as a little girl she had always loved the way the walls towered over her, every nook and cranny filled with books. She had spent countless hours in here reading.

She loved the quiet atmosphere, the way the rows of shelved books added an erudite air to the room. Even with the desk, she had spent most of her time on the floor, spread out on her side with a good book by her side, often with Shinichi accompanying her.

A small grin crossed her lips. They had been odd kids. Where others would have preferred going out to play the two of them had been content to laze around in the library reading and discussing the realistic probability of the novels they read. Or at least until Yukiko-obaasan kicked them out and ordered them to get some sunlight.

She set her bag down on the desk and moved over to the shelves, picking up a book. It was one of her uncle's older books, before his famous Night Baron series. Still, it had always been one of her favorites since it was the first mystery novels she had ever read. In an effort to make sure she got into bed on time, her father had read the book to her, one chapter a night. What he didn't know was that she had been too impatient to wait for the next day and so had secretly brought a flashlight with her and spent the rest of the night reading.

Aoko sat down in the chair and opened it. She had originally come over because Yusaku had told her that he had left some manuscripts and some old documents for her to look over but reading for an hour or so wouldn't hurt anyone. And Shinichi was still on his date with Ran so it wasn't like she would surprise him.

She sat curled up on the chair with her favorite book in hand. Yes, a few hours wouldn't hurt anyone. And she spent them blissfully, only getting up to make herself a cup of coffee. She knew Shinichi, despite his own obsession with the drink, wouldn't mind. And she had practically been living here at one point.

It was a loud explosion that startled her enough to make her knock her coffee mug off the desk. Luckily, she had finished the drink while it was still hot, and had managed to catch it before it hit the floor.

"Agasa-Hakase," she sighed. She wondered what it meant that any explosion, fire, or loud noise could immediately be attributed to the eccentric scientist, and usually correctly.

Sighing, she closed the book and left in on the desk beside the mug. This explosion was one of his bigger ones and he had most likely injured himself, either in the explosion or the aftermath.

And so, it was as she stepped through the gate that she saw a rather interesting sight. Hakase was there, but there seemed to be a little boy near him as well. Oddly, he seemed to be wearing clothes that were much too big for him. She raised an eyebrow when she noticed that they were the same ones Shinichi had been wearing for his date with Ran.

"Agasa-hakase?" she asked, closing the gate behind her. "And who's this?" She nodded at the boy beside her.

The old man rubbed the back of his head, "Actually, I don't know either. He was here when I, er, had an accident and he keeps on saying he's Shinichi,"

"What." Her tone was so flat it could hardly even be considered a question. Shinichi winced. He knew that tone well, though it was usually directed at Kuroba. Either way, it didn't bode well for anyone who didn't wish to have a long vacation in a hospital. Or the morgue.

He hurried to explain, "I _am_ Shinichi. Your cousin, Shinichi." She raised an eyebrow at that. Shinichi growled because it seemed neither of them were likely to believe him.

"But, he does seem to know things only Shinichi would know," Agasa interjected, though it quickly turned meek when Aoko turned her gaze to him.

"Like what?"

Agasa scratched his cheek a bit self consciously, "Well, he did know about the hair on the mole on my butt," she considered it. That wasn't the type of thing that a random kid on the street could find out using the internet. She hadn't even known (or wanted to know) that before this moment.

Her gaze instead turned back to the boy, "Let's pretend I believe your story. How did you get like that?"

"I was at the amusement part with Ran when I noticed these men in black and I followed them and they knocked me out and fed me a pill," he explained immediately. Aoko resisted the urge to press the bridge of her nose. That was something straight out of a manga. But his actions suited Shinichi completely.

Apparently seeing the expression on her face, the kid turned to Agasa-hakase. "Then how about this? You just came straight out of the Colombo restaurant, didn't you? And you were in quite a bit of a hurry," her eyes narrowed at his sudden deduction.

"H-how did you know that?"

"Your clothes professor," she didn't miss the way his gaze intensified or the way he gazed at Hakase, like a shark eyeing prey. It was a look she had seen many times on Shinichi when he began deducing. "The front of you has signs of being wet, but not the back. That's proof you were running in the rain. In addition, you have mud splattered across your pants. The only muddy road in this area is in front of Columbo, which is under construction," he smirked. "Furthermore, you have the distinctive color of Columbo's meat sauce on your mustache."

Hakase touched his mustache in shock, "T-Then you're-"

The boy waved his finger and tutted, "Elementary, my dear Agasa," and she snorted. At least he seemed to know his Holmes.

"Shinichi? Are you really Shinichi?"

"That's what I've been saying all along! I was shrunk by some drug," he stomped his feet at the man. Then he turned hopefully to her, like he knew she was the one he really had to convince.

Her eyes scanned him. His deductions and mannerisms were truly similar, if not an exact copy, of Shinichi's own. Even if someone could have copied him, or taught their kids to copy him, they wouldn't be able to copy his deduction prowess so easily. Not to mention he was still in the clothes he was wearing at Tropical Land.

Though perhaps it was the ridiculousness of his assertions that truly made her believe him. If someone had truly sent him, they would have asserted that he was an illegitimate child, not Kudo Shinichi himself. And they would have been present as well, taking the brunt of the questions and making the assertions.

"One question," she decided. It was the best way to prove his identity. Shinichi nodded, shoulders tensing in preparation.

"What shirt was Ran wearing today?" The question made Agasa fall over. Shinichi however, fumbled, his entire face turning red and he couldn't speak because he was so flustered.

She smiled, "Don't hurt yourself. I already got my answer," she smirked. A confused Agasa looked between the two of them. Aoko smirking like a smug cat and a completely flustered Shinichi. He decided he didn't want to know.

"Now come inside before you catch a cold," she ordered, opening the gate. "We can probably find some of your old clothes somewhere,"

He followed her eagerly, looking more than a little relieved as he did. Immediately afterwards she took out a towel and ordered him to dry off as she went looking for some old clothes of his.

"Smuggling weapons?" was the first thing she heard as she came through the door.

"Yeah, I saw a man blackmailing him with negatives of it, too," he said, still drying himself off. He was down to his underwear, which was still much too big for him, and Hakase was drying himself off as well.

"So they gave you the drug to keep your mouth shut?" she questioned, striding into the room and giving him the clothes she had picked out. Knowing him, he would choose that old uniform over the other, more casual clothes. He eagerly took the ones she gave him, though wrinkled his nose when he saw how well they fit.

"So basically, a strange side effect of the incomplete drug is that it shrunk your body?" Agasa mused.

Shinichi dressed himself, "Pretty much. Hey Hakase, you're a genius, right? Make a drug to change my body back to normal."

The professor rubbed the back of his head, "Don't be absurd Shinichi. If I don't know the composition of the drug…"

Aoko picked up the towel Shinichi had discarded and rubbed his head with it. It looked like he had had trouble getting his hair with his newfound child's strength. Shinichi stumbled under the force she used but kept his grumbling to a minimum.

"Then I just need to track down their whereabouts and get a hold of the of the drug, right?" Shinichi asked, leading them to the library. She had finished drying him and had put away the clothes he had worn in the rain. Clothes that had fit perfectly merely hours ago. Shinichi always did get into the oddest situations.

"Right. If we had that drug, I might be able to do something," Hakase agreed.

"Hold it, you two," the tone her voice made the two freeze. "Considering their ruthlessness and their methods, it's not the kind of thing that you can rush head first into. We have no idea how powerful they are or where they're even from. The fact that they managed to get away without the police even noticing them says a lot about their capabilities. They might be professionals, Shinichi," she warned.

Agasa nodded, grasping Shinichi by the shoulders, "That's why you mustn't tell anyone that you've been shrunk."

"Eh? Why?" Aoko resisted the urge to facepalm. Sometimes her cousin made him question his intelligence. Granted, it was nowhere near as often as Kaito, but they were there.

"You're still alive. In other words, if those guys know you're still alive they'll likely come target you again," he explained.

"But I-" he protested.

Aoko interrupted him before he could even finish the thought, "Shinichi, those men were trying to kill you. They're not the criminals you usually deal with. They're efficient and ruthless. It probably wasn't their first time killing people. Those aren't the type of people whose eyes you catch even if you're seeking death."

"And you'll put those around you in danger as well," Hakase added. "Understand? Your true identity as Kudo Shinichi must be kept a secret between us. You mustn't tell anyone else, not even Ran-kun." The warning must have gotten through because his gaze turned serious.

"Okay. I understand." From the tone of his voice, he understood just how dangerous those men were, and why he couldn't afford to include others, not even Ran. She frowned thinking about the surreality of the situation. While it was odd, being stuck like this might just ruin his actual life. She hoped this whole adventure would end soon. If it didn't, she didn't know what would happen.

"By the way, what were you even doing here, Aoko?" Shinichi suddenly asked, realizing that she had been in the library for a good while now if the empty coffee mug and the page she had dog-eared were any indication.

Aoko blushed, "I came here to pick up some stuff Yusaku-ojiisan found. He said they were some documents from an old mystery writer, and I lost track of time reading."

Shinichi snorted, that definitely sounded like his cousin.

"Actually, Aoko-kun, Yusaku-san gave the papers to me," Agasa said, surprising the two. "He came by earlier but they were in a hurry and he gave it to me to give to you. He said it would be faster than having you search the house for it."

"Alright, thanks Hakase. I'll pick it up after this," she waved at Shinichi, who twitched.

"Shinichi? Are you here?" the sudden interruption made all three jolt.

"Why is Ran here?" she hissed at her now shorter cousin.

"I don't know," he hissed back, stumbling back. "She must have been worried since I ran off on my own back then." She took a deep breath, reminding herself that in his current form his body couldn't handle a punch from her.

"Idiot," Shinichi laughed a bit sheepishly.

"If you're here at least pick up your phone!" she heard the sound of the door closing, "And you left the door unlocked,"

"This is bad! Hurry and hide," Hakase ordered, trying to shield him with his body.

"H-Hide? Where?" but he was already running towards the desk in the middle of the room. Aoko just watched the two run around like headless chickens and sighed.

Ran opened the door, an irritated expression on her face which quickly morphed into surprise when she saw who was inside, "Agasa-hakase? Aoko?"

Aoko moved towards her, "Mhhm. I had to pick up some stuff and Agasa-hakase came with me. Are you looking for Shinichi?"

Ran nodded, "Yes, he didn't call back after he left and I got worried." That idiot.

She nodded sympathetically, "Ah, he didn't tell you, then."

"Tell me what?" she asked suspiciously.

"Shinichi has a case. He said it might take a while and he sounded like he was in a bit of a hurry. I think it might have something to with whatever he was doing at Tropical Land," she said. "He came here a while ago to get some stuff and headed back out."

"Mou, that deduction otaku," she sighed in irritation. "And I was getting worried about him."

Aoko patted her shoulder, "He does act like an idiot sometimes," she said sympathetically.

_'Oi, oi. Just how many times have you called me an idiot?'_ Shinichi wondered, hidden safely behind the desk.

"But it's okay, he manages somehow," she finished. Ran seemed to relax a bit hearing that. A sudden sound made the two wince and Ran curiously look over their shoulder. Aoko didn't bother to stop her, knowing it would only make her suspicious.

"Who's this boy?" she asked, getting down on her knees.

"Oh, that boy's-" Agasa stumbled, trying to fib.

"You're a real shy one, aren't you? Come on, look this way," Ran moved the desk out of the way so she could see the boy clearly. "

"This boy's," she gasped. Aoko tensed, waiting for her to make the connection, even though she knew it was impossible. "So cute!" and hugged him. Aoko's lips twitched, at least she wouldn't think it was Shinichi.

Her eyes bore into Shinichi's when he blushed, knowing what was going through his mind. She sighed, teenage boys would be teenage boys.

"Hey, who is this boy?" she asked the two of them. Aoko elbowed Hakase when it seemed he was going to answer that. The man rubbed his side but looked at her in panic, wondering how to respond.

"He's a relative of mine," Aoko explained. "He looks a lot like Shinichi, right?" She gestured at him. Ran nodded, taking another look at him.

"But why is he here?" she asked, tilting her head.

"His mother dropped him off, but Shinichi has a case so we're trying to figure out where to keep him," Aoko explained, her eyes taking a speculative gleam.

Ran tilted her head, "You're not going to take him in, Aoko?"

She snorted, "No way. You know I'm bad with kids." The other three winced. "Oh come on, it wasn't that bad," she scowled at them. Ran laughed nervously, remembering the only time Aoko had been left to babysit. It was never going to happen again.

"You terrified the poor child, Aoko," Ran reminded. She suddenly realized that it was probably a good thing Aoko wasn't taking him in.

"How old are you?" Ran turned back to Shinichi, following him as he retreated.

"I'm sixt-" he winced under Aoko's glare. "Uh, six," and laughed nervously as Agasa and Aoko sighed in relief.

"Oh, so you're a first-grader?" she asked in interest. "Mhmm," he nodded. Aoko pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at the sight. It was hilarious, seeing how her cousin could keep his cool in front of murderers and explosives and yet be completely undone by a single innocent question from Ran.

"What's your name?" All three tensed at that. Aoko and Shinichi exchanged a panicked glance before he glanced at the books behind him. She knew what he was going to do before he even did it.

"My name is- eto, my name is… Conan!" The name had her sending a palm to her forehead. "My name is Edogawa Conan." That high pitched laugh of his was going to get annoying very quickly.

"Conan-kun? That's an unusual name," Ran tilted her head to the side. The newly named Conan inched away, hiding behind her legs. She blinked, that was the first time a child had ever used her as a shield, real child or not.

"My dad's a big fan of Conan Doyle, and…" the words seemed to be reasonable to Ran.

"He seems a bit like Shinichi," Ran rested a finger to her chin. Aoko couldn't help but smile. It seemed that the Kudos and mysteries were intertwined enough that Ran didn't question it.

"He is related to him," Aoko shrugged, watching as Hakase picked up Shinichi and moved a bit away. "Yukiko-obaasan gave us this long explanation but I wasn't listening."

"What's with 'Conan'? You aren't a foreigner," Hakase whispered to Shinichi. Thankfully Aoko-kun had managed to explain it away.

"It's okay," Aoko interjected quietly, "Ran's used to us being mystery freaks so she won't give it much thought. And it's too late to change it now," she said as her cousin grinned sheepishly.

"What else could I say?"

Ran popped up beside them, making the little group jump. Hakase was the first to speak up, "Oh right, Ran-kun, sorry, but could you take care of him at your house for the time being?"

Aoko nodded in agreement, "That's right. His parents already left and Shinichi isn't here," she wisely excluded herself from the lineup.

Ran frowned thoughtfully, "That's fine with me. But I'll have to ask my dad."

Agasa nodded happily, "I see, I see. So you'll take him in," and carried Shinichi out of the room, with her following after throwing a smile at Ran. "Just a minute," she said.

"What's the big idea?" Shinichi growled at them, "Freeloading at Ran's place? What'll she do if she figures out who I am?"

"Just listen," the old man held up a finger, "Those men in black will eventually find out that your body hasn't been discovered. And when that happens this place will be the one they first suspect. Don't you think the people who go in and out of this house will be their biggest suspects?"

"Then wouldn't your house, or Aoko's be better?"

"For you to go back to your original body, you first have to look for those men who used the drug on you. Ran-kun's home is a detective agency with ties to the police," Agasa explained.

"Then wouldn't it be better to stay at Aoko's?"

She shook her head, "No, my home's too connected. Plus, my dad's primarily working on the Kaitou Kid case so we wouldn't be able to go very far. You need someone who can maneuver more easily and see a wide variety of cases."

"I see," he nodded. Aoko expanded, "If you can manage to help Kogoro-ojiisan with more cases he'll be able to solve more cases and with your luck it's likely you'll come across something in one of them."

Shinichi's eyes twitched, ' _Was that a compliment or an insult?'_

"Besides, you won't have to worry about Ran finding out your true identity," Aoko interjected. "No one in their right mind would think a human could shrink. Even if you are similar you could always just say that you learned it from your older self."

"Hakase?" Ran followed them into the corridor. Aoko was the only one who managed to keep from flinching, but only barely. Instead she plastered a smile on her face, though she assumed it looked more like a grimace. She made a note to work on that, especially with Shinichi's _condition_. She couldn't afford to accidentally let things slip and in order to do that she needed to be able to lie smoothly. Funny, she was becoming like Kaito.

"Yay! I wanna go to your house, Oneechan," Aoko bit her lip to keep from laughing. Shinichi was actually adorable in his current form and the sheer ridiculousness of the situation made her want to burst into laugher. Even for Shinichi, this was too much.

"You're so cute!" Ran cooed. Aoko was the only one who saw the way Shinichi's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. He really did look like a little kid.

But, there was a lot she needed to think about. First, there were the two mysterious men. With the way Shinichi had described them, it was apparent they were seasoned killers, especially the one with blond hair. She would need to look into any police reports and see if they had any information. She sighed. It would take far more time and effort than if they had just decided to go digital. And she would need to find an opportunity to sneak in, as well as buy herself enough time to search thoroughly. No, that was too vague. And it left far too much area for her to cover. It would be better to wait before attempting that, or at least the final option.

Second, the pill itself. From what Shinichi had heard, apparently it was supposed to the perfect assassination weapon. Still that brought up the question of how a tool that was used to kill without traces could reverse aging. How many other people had fallen prey to the drug? How had they managed to develop such a drug without drawing the attention of government bodies? Where did they get the funding from?

The two possessing such a drug, one they implied had been created for them, perhaps by someone affiliated with them, implied that they had the power to do so. How much power did they have in the world? Who backed them? How far was their reach? Was she overthinking?

Third, the effects of the pill. Would the pill have after effects that would kill Shinichi later? Did the poison make him more vulnerable to other poisons? What about disease? She had no idea if the pill was continuing to affect her cousin's body. They had no sure sign that he wouldn't fall over dead any minute. Just because the pill hadn't worked correctly didn't mean it still couldn't kill him in some way.

Fourthly, the implications of the drug. Rather than the age reverting effect it had on Shinichi, it had been created as the ultimate assassination weapon. Untraceable, and unstoppable. If they did manage to develop the full version of the drug then it would give them enormous leverage. From the way they had managed to manufacture the drug at all they had to have power but with such a weapon in their hands their only limit would be their own discretion. If an organization had access to such a weapon then they would no doubt have the means to achieve their goal, as ambitious as it may be. If, on the other hand, the two were merely mercenaries then that meant they would lend that power to any power that paid them enough. She shivered at the implications of both options.

Right now there were too many questions and too little answers. She grit her teeth, hating her own helplessness in this situation. For now, all they could do was wait and watch, and make sure Shinichi didn't draw the wrong sort of attention. There were too many unknowns and too many dangers for them to run about wildly. Shinichi needed to concentrate on becoming Conan and helping Kogoro become a better detective. It would take time for that to happen, time they couldn't use to plan since they had no information to plan with.

The countermeasures. If they were going with this strategy they had no way to measure how long it would take. It would either finish in a few months (especially if it was some small-time assassination gang) or it could take as much as years if the target was bigger than that. Should that be the case, Conan would need to go under deep cover.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that they were by the front door until Ran was saying goodbye to them. She blinked and noticed where she was, having unconsciously followed them all the while, and waved back when Ran glanced at her.

"Okay, Aoko, tell Shinichi to call me when he gets home," and she nodded, internally grimacing and wondering how to solve that problem. Maybe she could convince Kaito to do it.

"See you later, Agasa-hakase. Bye-bye Aoko-neechan," Shinichi waved as he left, holding hands with Ran as he went.

"See you later S-Conan-kun," Agasa quickly amended after Aoko elbowed him. He gave her an abashed look at the mistake. She frowned, it would take time for them to get used to his other name and to use it without stuttering. It would be even harder not to shout out his real name in the heat of the moment or if he was in danger, something he got into more than should be possible.

"Hakase," she drew his attention. "With the condition his body is in right now, it'll much harder for him to do anything. And given his tendency to attract corpses he'll need to be able to defend himself. Can you design some things to help him?"

He blinked then nodded as understanding dawned, "I see. I'll get to work on it. Who knows, if it works well maybe I can even sell it."

"We'll see," she smiled. Then she noticed the time, "Sorry Hakase, but I've got to go. I still have to make dinner at home," she said and started towards the train station.

"Be safe," he called behind her. She waved and headed off. Even if they were still in Tokyo, Beika was a different ward than Nerima, and she would rather not walk the entire way.

Once she was on the train, she looked outside. In a single night her entire understanding of the world, or at least biology, had been undone. Somehow, someone had managed to manufacture a superdrug capable of reverting the aging process. And her cousin had managed to get in the middle of it, and nearly get killed by some mysterious men in black.

She went over what Shinichi had told her of the two first, Gin: tall, lean, gaunt; long blond hair; green eyes. Vodka: short, stout, broad face, sunglasses, Gin's underling. Both wore black.

They had distinct appearances but it would be hard to be sure until she saw them herself, or at least a picture. But there was one thing Shinichi had said that she knew would point them, especially Gin, out in a crowd. Cold merciless eyes, the eyes of a killer.

* * *

Aoko sighed as she stepped into her home, dropping her bag on the floor and stretching out. After the day she'd had, it was relieving to be back home again. And from the way it seemed every light on the ground floor was on it seemed her dad was home too. She smiled, it wasn't often that he was home in general and he only seemed to get busier with Kid's sudden emergence from the woodwork so she was glad he was here today.

Walking into the room, she saw her dad washing his hands, "You're home early today," she noted to him, moving in to wash her hands as he finished.

"Ahh, I finished early," her dad responded with a smile. She returned it. Preparing dinner together was an activity she loved, though not one that happened often. It was a time for them to share about their day and just talk.

"How was your day?" she asked, moving to take the vegetables out of the fridge. She turned the water on and washed them as she listened, the sound of the water coupled with her father's voice relaxing as she worked.

"It was definitely a lot of work, but I got all of my paperwork finished. There were a few cases with one of those big companies we needed to complete, but we finished that too," he responded. She smiled. It seemed that Kid's return had filled her father with renewed vigor.

"How was yours?" he asked in return. Aoko turned off the water and placed the vegetables in a bowl as she searched for a knife and thought of what to say. She obviously couldn't tell him everything, but it was nice to talk. She could already feel her shoulders relaxing. A part of her just wanted to take a long shower and climb into bed.

She took out a large pot and poured water in before pouring in the noodles, "I went to see Ran at the Regionals. It was a bit odd watching from the audience's place though,"

"How did she do?"

"She won." Her dad nodded in satisfaction, "I always knew that girl was strong. It's good that she finally won." He no doubt remembered how Ran had come in second the year before and Aoko complaining about it for weeks.

"I heard the brat got into another case," Ginzo commented offhandedly. Aoko froze for a moment then remembered that Ran had told her there was the case at the roller coaster.

"Yeah, a jealous lover killed her ex-boyfriend at the amusement parl," she said.

"He always gets into cases in the most ridiculous places," her dad grumbled. She couldn't help the smile on her face when she just what he was remembering. It seemed her dad still hadn't forgiven Shinichi for the embarrassment from that time.

"He has the worst luck," she agreed.

Her dad snorted, "You say that like yours is any better,"

"I don't attract corpses!" she protested.

"Just everything else," he said. She grunted.

"I heard Kid had another case. How was it?"

"He sent us on a wild goose chase," he grumbled. "Showed up at the stadium in the last few minutes and disappeared,"

She shook her head. Honestly, she was surprised that with Shinichi's luck he hadn't encountered the criminal again. Or perhaps he had, she hadn't really been paying attention to him besides that one case **.**

She paused when she heard the sound of the door opening. It seemed Kaito had finally decided to come over for dinner. Knowing him, he had been speaking to Chikage-Obaasan.

"Kaito, help me prepare the table," she called.

"Fine," came his long suffering sigh. She rolled her eyes at his reply, but suddenly remembered what time it was and moved to the living room. It was almost time for the news so she dried her hands before turning on the news.

"You don't usually watch the news before dinner," Kaito noted from behind her. She jumped, being too focused on what was said to have noticed him. Even so, her attention was only half on him as her gaze stayed on the screen.

"Shinichi solved a case today and I'm wondering if it'll be on TV today," she said absently.

"I would have thought you would be used to that by now," he raised an eyebrow. She didn't answer, the reporter finally covering the information she needed.

"Highschool Detective Kudo Shinichi Strikes Again," her dad read aloud behind her. Indeed, the announcer, Mizunashi Rena, was speaking about the events of the case.

"This afternoon at Tropical Land a murder was solved by famed High School Detective, Kudo Shinichi, involving a woman who killed her lover using her necklace and the grappling power of the roller coaster," she went on for a while, the news making Kaito gawk while she listened.

Finally, it changed to another story and her eyes narrowed. There was no mention of the men in black or the deal at the amusement park despite the fact that it had been crawling with police officers. They should have been there for hours, collecting evidence, talking to the witnesses, even after Shinichi successfully solved it.

And despite that there was no mention of them. Which either meant they were extremely skilled or they had somehow influenced the police. Neither option was one she wanted to consider, nor one she could without more information. But this at least supported her theory of them being connected. If they had the power to create a drug the likes of which the world had never seen then it would make sense that they had friends in high places. Or perhaps had somehow managed to keep the officers on the ground quiet. Either way, the lack of anything on the news only showed there was something to be wary of.

"Oi, are you coming or what?" Kaito's voice broke her out of her musing and she turned to him. His expression looked irritated as it turned to her but there was an undercurrent of concern as well. His hand rested on her arm, and quickly left once her gaze landed on it.

She tilted her head, "You're right. I couldn't miss this. It's a special night." Kaito looked a bit suspicious of her smile but followed her just the same.

She moved back to the kitchen as Kaito took a seat, carefully preparing the sliced fish with the vegetables before placing it in front of you.

"Hai, dinner," she said with a smirk.

"Wow, looks delicious," he replied. Her smile widened when she heard the strained note in his voice, and how it jumped an octave.

"Doesn't it? You _love_ fish, don't you?" she taunted, pushing it closer to him, and taking a special delight in the way his Pokerface shattered.

"How is it, Kaito-kun? I prepared it myself," her dad asked from behind her. "See, got one more."

She smiled. Perfect. "You don't want to put all that hard work to waste do you?"

Kaito took several steps back as she approached, taking the fish from her dad's hands. She grinned. She had nearly forgotten about the fish after the day she'd had but the look on Kaito's face was too much to overlook.

' _And now I have your weakness in hand, Kaito.'_ she thought gleefully. Kaito must have seen the expression on her face as he merely retreated faster. His scream would be something she would treasure for years.

Something sparkled through the air as she took a step forward. He dodged and she chased after him. "Stop it, stop it," he cried, shooting cards at her.

"You stop," she demanded. "Do you have any idea how expensive Red Snapper fish is?"

"You're the one with no idea!" he snapped. The last card sent the fish flying, luckily into her dad's waiting hands. She bit her lip, but couldn't help bursting into laughter. Kaito gave her a dark look but it was mitigated by the grin curling at his lips.

"T-This is-" The sudden cry drew her attention to her dad, who held up a jewel she instantly recognized.

"The Eye of the Moon," she narrowed her eyes. "But what's it doing here?" From the way her dad reacted, he hadn't brought it with him, or expected it to have been in his fish. No, _no one_ expected a priceless gem to be stuck inside their fish.

That was odd. Kid had been the one who had stolen the gem, and yet it had somehow shown up in the fish she had bought. He couldn't have put it there beforehand since she had bought it before his heist. Which meant he had to have put it there afterwards. And yet, why had he put it in the fish? Why not something else, something easier to spot?

Then there was the way the gem had stayed in one spot. Looking at it, she could see he hadn't added anything to it, so the gem shouldn't have been able to stay inside the fish with the way she and Kaito had been handling it. Which meant that he couldn't have sneaked into her house in the middle of the night and put it in, or something. So it had only just been put in. But she had only taken it out of the freezer today. But there were only the three of them here.

Seeing her pensive expression, Kaito winced before trying to distract her, "We should eat soon. It's already pretty late," he said nervously. His words seemed to bring her out of her reverie. He cursed himself silently.

He'd forgotten how hard it was to get things past Aoko. And if he wasn't careful she would discover his secret.

"Sure, let's eat," she nodded, then smirked at him, "I hope you enjoy the meal." His eye twitched. Why that-

In the end, it was a nice meal, with the three of them talking and smiling as usual, though there was much more of latter on Aoko's part as she watched Kaito struggle with the fish. All in all, it was a nice end to the day, and she sent him out with a smile- and an offer of leftovers.

* * *

After a long, hot shower, Aoko stepped out feeling refreshed and more than a little thirsty. It was late at night so the house was dark and she could tell from the view on the side that Kaito had gone to bed as well.

The only light on was her lamp, which she had left on so she could find her way about in the dark. Next to it lay her phone. She sat on the bed, towel around her shoulders as she reached for it.

The screen opened up to show what she had last looked at and a smirk crossed her face. With all that had happened, she had forgotten to send the pictures to Yukiko-obaasan.

In an act that only a true family member would do, she and Sonoko had snuck around the area for Shinichi and Ran's date. They hadn't stayed long, just enough to get the picture they were looking for.

She scrolled through her phone to the photo she wanted. She had taken several in hopes of catching the perfect moment and finally gotten it. The image showed Shinichi, blushing and surprised with his gaze at Ran's shirt, or rather the image of his own face on her shirt and Ran's equally embarrassed expression.

She smiled and saved it. Even if Shinichi did manage to get his hands on her phone she would have copies. With a smirk, she sent it to his mom. She, at least, would appreciate her efforts. And the two of them looked adorable.

The pictures afterward were ones she had snapped of Shinichi's new body while he wasn't looking. She flicked through them. He really did look adorable with his big eyes and chubby cheeks. When she had actually been that age, Shinichi had looked, well like Shinichi, but seeing him as a baby again reminded her of just how cute he had been. She fought down the urge to squeal. Or cackle.

Knowing his mother, she would have an encyclopedic knowledge of every picture, and sending her pictures of little Shinichi that she didn't know about would drive her insane. And so it was that she made the decision to send the photos.

She laid in bed with a smile, after turning off the phone. After all, knowing her aunt, she would send her a dozen messages in the middle of the night. It would be fine to let her wait a few hours.

Then she remembered the events of the evening. Discounting what had happened to Shinichi, it seemed Kaito was somehow involved with Kid, with the way he had reacted to her eyeing the gem. She didn't know how or even if Kaito had even known about it. For all she knew Kid had passed by him and used him as a way of returning it to the police.

Still, that didn't answer why he looked so worried. He couldn't not be involved if he was so anxious but she didn't know how involved he was.

Though at the same time she couldn't believe that idiot had used a priceless gem to stuff a fish.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thing about Aoko not being as good with kids as Kaito, I think that's true in canon too, with him being the one that makes them laugh and stuff. I don't think she's that bad, but I thought it would be funny to exaggerate it a bit, and it goes with her new character, which is more serious and more analytical, kind of like Shinichi.
> 
> Yeah, I know I kind of split the events of the first episode, but I had too much stuff the other chapter and it ended on such a good note. Besides I think this one works too.


	4. The Bloody Bride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An attempted murder, a series of suspicious suspects, and the police. Oh joy, just a normal day then. But this time it looks like it's Aoko's time to shine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thanks to Ale_san and epicwesley for being my first reviews.

"P-Please give me a break, Kaitou-bochama," Jii stuttered as a card whizzed past his ear. Had it been any closer it would have nicked his ear. "I haven't heard any details from Toichi-sama either."

"That's why I've been telling you to spit out everything you know, haven't I, Jii-chan?" Kaitou ground out, his card gun still pointed at the man. It was lucky they were in Kaito's house and that Aoko was in Beika tonight.

"Why did my dad, Kuroba Toichi, assume the form of Kaitou Kid and start stealing treasures?" The gun moved threateningly, "And why did he die?" The two created an odd image, a young man pointing a gun at a frightened-looking old man, though with cards surrounding his head rather than bullet holes it seemed more preposterous than terrifying.

"T-That's-" Jii struggled to answer, and his eyes darted to the right, which made Kaito turn his head as well. His eyes landed on the wall, with the table and the board of bills that didn't seem to hold anything of importance until his eyes found the photo.

It was an old photograph, one from when he had been a kid. He remembered it well, it had been taken only a few weeks before Aoko had moved in next door. At his mother's insistence, they had gone to a park to get the picture taken.

His mother.

' _Is it possible that… did Mom make him keep it a secret?"_ he thought, remembering his mom's vague words from the last time he had spoken to her. ' _I bet you're going to be busy these days.'_

It was almost like she had known _._

Kaito withdrew his gun and ignored the sigh of relief that came from Jii. Getting information out of his mother was like pulling teeth so he didn't bother with that route, and it seemed Jii-chan was intent on following her orders.

"Ok, don't say anything if you don't want to. I don't have any idea what secret you and Mom are keeping, but... I shall become Kid and raise a storm to unearth it." He smirked at the man.

He vowed silently that he would find out who had killed his father and why. From Jii-chan's earlier words Kaito knew that his father had been killed, and now he would pursue the murderer, to the ends of the earth if he had to. No matter what.

Jii gave his Young Master a cautious glance, one the boy didn't notice. For all of his earlier fervor to unearth Toichi-sama's killer, there was a part of him that felt guilty over bringing Kaito-bochama, the one person Toichi-sama had expressly forbidden to know about Kid, into this life.

But the Young Master was too much like his father to be stopped once he had chosen a path. Even then, Toichi-sama had had Chikage-sama's support and had been much older and wiser when he had taken up the mantle. He worried that his Young Master, for all his intelligence, hadn't understood the full implications of becoming Kid.

* * *

"Remind me again why I'm here?" Aoko grumbled as Ran dragged her along.

"Oh hush, we have to support Sensei at her wedding," Ran jabbed her in the elbow. She called out to Sonoko in the distance, making sure not to let go of the overgrown toddler she was dragging.

"She wasn't even my teacher," Aoko protested as Sonoko joined them.

"And yet you were her favorite. She would even stay after class to go over lessons with you, you know. Be more compassionate," Ran retorted.

"More like she wouldn't let me get away," Aoko snorted.

"You didn't seem to mind when she bought you pastries afterwards," Ran pointed out. She shrugged.

"Who would?"

Ran sighed but she noticed that Aoko had at least stopped resisting. They reached Sonoko, who gave Ran an unimpressed look. "Honestly Ran, you're always late."

"Sorry, sorry. This time I had to fetch Aoko," Ran scratched her cheek as Aoko scowled at her.

"Oi, don't blame me. You were the one that got lost." Sonoko and Aoko exchanged a put out look as Ran's cheeks flushed. Rather than get better it seemed Ran's sense of direction had only worsened with time.

"I'm actually worried about you being by yourself in the future, Ran. What are you going to do without Conan with you?" To which she got a jab in the elbow.

The blow did however catch Sonoko's attention, and turn it to the third member of the group Ran had brought, one she whose presence she had almost ignored in it's familiarity before realizing the oddity. "I'm surprised to see you, too, Aoko."

"So am I," she huffed and nodded at the brunette beside her, "Ran dragged me here."

Sonoko waved it off, "Ah whatever, Matsumoto-sensei will probably be happiest to see you here, her dear favorite." Her teasing made Aoko scowl.

"I wasn't even her actual student, you know. It's awkward," she huffed.

Sonoko laughed, "I never would have thought you would be the shy one, Aoko. Don't worry, she loves you. If anything she'll be happy to see you." Ran gave her an encouraging smile to which she sighed.

"It was funny actually, the difference in how she treated you and him," Sonoko's lips curled as though she was remembering a fond memory. Even Aoko snorted at that.

"She was always on him." Her eyes went to the blushing boy who stood beside Ran. He met her gaze head on and with a glare that would have been far more intimidating had he not been three feet tall and imitating a Christmas light.

Said boy glanced at the church with what, in a few years could be a thoughtful frown but was now limited to a pout. _'That hag was always picking on me. Heh, I want to see what kind of weirdo would marry_ her. _'_

"Hey, want to see what Sensei looks like in her wedding dress?" Sonoko asked.

"Yeah!" Ran agreed.

"O-Oi! Is it even alright for us to just go disturb the bride before her big day?" Aoko tried to stop them.

"It's fine. It's fine," Sonoko waved. Aoko sighed but followed them. "If we get glared at I'm blaming you two."

It turned out it wasn't needed as they managed to get into the bride's room easily enough. And stopped short in the doorway.

The last time Aoko had seen her friends' old music teacher she had had her long hair hanging freely and glasses covering a large portion of her face. Despite being pretty Matsumoto-sensei almost faded into the background at times. So it stunned her to see the woman with her long hair up and the contours of the dress highlighting her figure.

The bride noticed them and smiled. She was radiant.

"Mouri-san and Suzuki-san." Her smile widened when they turned to the last girl, who lingered by the door, "And Nakamori-chan."

She couldn't move to them with the people around her but waved and once the people working on the gown stepped back she spun to show off the gown, "Well? Does it look good on me?"

"It looks fantastic Matsumoto-sensei," Sonoko and Ran exclaimed in unison. Aoko nodded. "You look beautiful, sensei,"

She beamed, "If I have even Nakamori-chan's approval then it must be alright." Ran and Sonoko shared a laugh at the shared joke. Aoko was near impossible to impress and didn't mind voicing that. Part of the problem may have been Kuroba himself and flamboyant, showy demeanor.

"Is Kudo-kun not here? I wanted to show this dress off to that cheeky little brat," the supposedly mature woman tsked.

' _She's still the same as ever'_ Aoko and Conan thought in unison. Aoko however bit back a smile as she remembered just why she had liked this sensei. With her upbeat personality and upfront attitude she brought to mind an older Sonoko.

"Hm, haven't I met you somewhere?" Matsumoto-sensei finally noticed the boy and tilted her head as she took a good look at him.

"N-no. It's our first meeting," Conan sweated. "Nice to meet you."

Her own response was cut off by Ran's sudden call to them both, "Okay, you two, look this way. We're in charge videotaping today." Her voice drew their attention to the two as Sonoko slyly added, "Please make sure you get a good kiss scene." Sensei began to laugh as Ran huffed and Aoko rolled her eyes, as did her male miniature.

"Of course!"

They were interrupted by the door opening and a pale haired, freckle-faced woman walking in. In one hand she carried a plastic bag, one most likely carrying a familiar drink. "Sayuri, I bought it for you, your warm lemon tea."

Their former teacher's attention was immediately caught by the declaration. "Wow, thanks!"

"Wait, you can't drink it like that or your make up will come off. Hold on a sec," the new woman rummaged through her bag for a moment before she pulled out a straw. "Here. And don't drink too much either. It'd be a pain if you had to go to the bathroom in that getup."

"Thanks, Kazumi,"

"Sheesh, you really are a lot of trouble," despite the harsh wording her sigh was fond.

"I'm really sorry,"

"Huh?"

"About Toshihiko-san." Sayuri kept her gaze on the lemon tea she held in her hands. Perhaps, or because of, the inflection in her voice, it drew Aoko's attention.

"What are you talking about?" Kazumi whacked Sayuri across the back. "You better watch out! I'll tell everyone at the reception that the bridegroom used to be my boyfriend." At Sayuri's stunned looked, she cheekily added, "Just kidding~"

"Geez," Sayuri pouted at her friend as she left. Those around the two could see why they had been friends. Birds of a feather flocked together indeed.

"Who was that?" Sonoko asked, still looking at where the blond-haired woman had disappeared to.

"She's a terrible friend I had in college." Again the words were harsh but the tone fond. Aoko glanced between her and the door the other woman had just left from. She could sense there was something unsaid, some context she was missing for the subtext she had gleaned but she had no idea what.

"Oh, Kazumi bought drinks for the cosmeticians too," Sayuri noticed as she rummaged through the bag. "Would you like them?"

"I'll take the lemon tea," Sonoko chose first.

"Coffee for me," Conan made a grab for it but he obediently put it back, though not without a pout, at Aoko's warning look.

"Then I'll take the Oolong tea," Ran decided. Aoko passed on the drinks when Matsumoto-sensei turned to her.

It was as they were enjoying the drinks that the door opened again, this time to a more intimidating guest. He was tall in a way that bordered on giant, with equally harsh facial features. Despite the suit and his well groomed hair, with his narrowed eyes and the scar that ran across one eye, he looked more like a thug in a suit than an invited guest.

So it was not unreasonable for Ran to have acted the way she did.

"Wh-who are you?" Ran demanded angrily, stepping in front of her former teacher.

Aoko however merely blinked. As the daughter of an inspector, and the sole reason that said inspector passed the bare minimum in dietary requirements, she had come across many people in the station while delivering her father food, and had occasionally been babysat by the junior members of the squadron as a child. With an uncle who was renowned for his deductive prowess and a cousin that had a talent for attracting corpses, she had spent more than her fair share of time at the police station. All of this meant that she had encountered many officers of various ranks and appearances.

This particular man was one she had once met through her father at a police gala. Known for his sharp acumen and ability to get things done, Superintendent Matsumoto wasn't the kind of man who had come by his job through nepotism, or one who had become a desk worker after his days in the field were over.

A cynical part of her wondered if someone important died in the nearby area if the Superintendent himself was present.

' _Wait a second. Matsumoto-keishi, Matsumoto-sensei… don't tell me.'_

Her mind blanked out for a moment as she looked between the two. As a budding author she naturally took an interest in people in the real world, how they looked and how they behaved. And she had grown up with a deduction freak who loved showing off. Despite that, she could not in any way see anything that would hint at a family relationship.

"Ran, take out this gorilla!" Sonoko ordered immediately after.

"Wait Ran, he's probably-" her words were unknowingly cut off by a greeting.

The next visitor quickly garnered the attention of the room. He was a portly man with a mustache that looked resembled a crescent moon, but an immediately recognizable figure for two girls who had seen more than their fair share of murders.

"Hm? Oh, hello Ran-kun, Aoko-kun," Megure popped out from behind his boss.

"M-Megure-keibu, why are you here?"

"What kind of subordinate would I be if I didn't go to my boss' daughter's wedding?" Megure laughed. "Right, Superintendent?"

"S-Superintendent?" Ran stuttered.

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Aoko muttered in her ear.

"Yup, he's the police superintendent," Sayuri confirmed cheerily. "And he's also my father." Her thoughts confirmed, Aoko looked between them. There was still nothing that seemed to show they were father and daughter. Though that was probably a good thing.

"F-Father?" Sonoko seemed unable to compute it.

Aoko leaned over to whisper, "Just remember you called a Police Superintendent a gorilla."

Sonoko immediately went ashen.

"We're very sorry," the two bowed in unison. On either side of her, the two linked arms and dragged Aoko down as well.

' _Why did they make me bow, too? It's not like I was the one who called him a gorilla, or nearly assaulted him."_

"Don't worry, Mouri-san, Suzuki-san, Nakamori-chan. It's his own fault for having a face like that," their former teacher reassured.

"Mouri? So you're the daughter of that great detective Mouri Kogoro?"

"Y-yes," Ran answered.

"Every time he solves another one I get in trouble. My superiors keep asking why I let such a capable man go."

"W-well," Ran rubbed the back of her head, and beside her Conan did the same. Aoko nudged him subtly and he blinked before giving her a sheepish look, to which she rolled her eyes.

"And you must be Namakori Ginzo's daughter, Aoko," the man turned to her. "I've heard good things about you. A sharp woman. Have you considered joining the force?"

"My dad tells me I still have a way to go," Aoko deflected humbly. Conan gave her a flat look which she returned with a glare.

Being a police officer had never been something she had considered. If anything, she was surprised that the Superintendent even knew her. Her dad was known for being the police's chief inspector against Kid, and was well known amongst the general public as well since Kid heists were highly publicized. She wouldn't be surprised if people across seas knew him, or at least had a description of him. Though that description was rarely pleasant.

"By the way Sayuri, are you really okay with this? Do you really want to marry that man?" He asked. "Y-you can still say no. Don't marry that little rich kid. I'll introduce you to someone from my department," he promised.

"Don't you think it's a little late for that?" Sayuri scowled. "Besides, you said I could marry anyone I wanted to."

"Right, I guess there's nothing I can do," he admitted, not looking happy about it.

"Why do you always treat me like a kid?"

"Because you are a kid, still drinking things like this at your age," he picked up the lemon tea.

"So what? I like it." She snatched it back. "Your daughter's all dressed up and this is all you can talk about?"

"Sorry… you're very pretty," Matsumoto admitted, passing by her to leave. He turned over his shoulder, "But you still don't come close to your late mother,"

"Geez, why can't he just compliment me normally," Sayuri complained before taking a sip of her drink.

' _On second thought, gorilla might be a fitting name for him after all,'_ Aoko refrained from rolling her eyes. Barely.

Their interaction wouldn't have been uncommon in a drama, a police superintendent's daughter marrying a spoiled rich boy. How unfortunate that she wasn't a screenwriter.

It was even more difficult to maintain composure as the next guest walked in. She didn't remember him, but it was apparent from Sonoko's words that he was an upperclassman, one who was cursed with immense arrogance but wasn't blessed with the charisma to turn it into a charming point instead.

"Oh no, the camera's nearly out of batteries," Ran suddenly said.

"No way," Sonoko took it from her to see for herself.

Aoko gave Ran an incredulous look before facepalming. "That's the kind of thing you're supposed to check the night before, Ran."

"Sorry, sorry. I must have forgotten. There's an electronics store near here, right? We'll go buy some," Ran grabbed Sonoko as she explained. Aoko leaned back against the wall, a silent indication to Ran that she would stay here. Her head titled to look down at her diminutive cousin. With the mess he was in, she couldn't let him out of her sight. She was often away most of the time and it worried her to no end that Shinichi was trapped and by himself and couldn't help but hover whenever she was near him.

The worry that had been silently creeping its way into her heart made its appearance again. They were no closer to finding the men who had done this to him than they had been before and she was worried about his condition. It was hardly the kind of thing they could visit the hospital about. And then there was the matter of his existence.

They barely had the minimum legal documentation for his existence, just enough to send him to school. She needed to make it more solid if someone decided to look into it. With his habit of running into corpses and his determination to solve those cases, he would undoubtedly get involved in and well known, even if he was using Mouri Kogoro as a front. If nothing else, it would make his face well known among the police. He bore too many similarities to Shinichi for them not to make the connection but she couldn't allow them to think they were anything more than relatives.

Her attention was caught by Matusmoto-sensei, who had suddenly taken Conan's glasses. "I knew it." She said triumphantly. "You look just like Kudo Shinichi. Just seeing this face makes me want to tease you," she pinched his cheeks, "Because Kudo-kun looked like my first love."

It seemed like even the teacher had made the connection. Aoko sighed. It was impossible to ask for people to not see Shinichi in Conan, given who he was, which was why she had said they were relatives in the first place. Hopefully, it kept them from making more absurd, if true, conclusions.

"He was a boy in the neighborhood and his family owned a candy store. Whenever I got bullied, he protected me for some reason. And he would always take some of that stuff from his family store and share it with me, that lemon tea," her sensei's face turned nostalgic and slightly wistful. "I could never forget that so I've been drinking this ever since. It gives me courage."

… She hadn't expected the conversation to take that route. And unfortunately, it was unlikely that others who made the connection would reminisce over how her cousin reminded them of a lost love.

Sayuri composed herself suddenly and turned to Aoko, "But you don't believe in this stuff do you, Aoko-chan?"

"Hn." The woman gave a fond smile at her non-answer. She knew well enough what her answer would be, and how the girl was holding herself back because it was her special day. Despite the blunt honesty she was infamous for, Sayuri had known the girl long enough to know that it was tempered by compassion.

Over the years she had known them, Nakamori Aoko and Kudo Shinichi had left an impression on her. Sometimes it was still hard for her to believe that her tone-deaf, snarky little student had become such a famous detective. And Aoko-chan was an experience. An assault on the senses. Despite the duo's ability to irritate her like no other, they had also been some of her most beloved students.

"Hey, what're you embarrassed for? Aren't you the groom?" The sudden noise broke the sentimental atmosphere. "Hey, don't push me," came another voice as the doors burst open and the groom was shoved inside.

"Toshihiko-kun," Sayuri blinked.

"Wow, Sayuri, you look nice," the groom, Toshihiko, rubbed his head shyly. His attention was then drawn to what she had in her hand. "Geez, only poor people drink this stuff, you're still drinking it?"

"H-hai," Sayuri stuttered. Aoko raised an eye at the man who would marry her teacher. He wasn't what she had expected, to say the least. She didn't miss the glance that Matsumoto-sensei gave him. There was something behind it, just as there was something more behind her words to her friend but she had no idea what.

"Ahh, you're the heir to the Takasugi Group!" Sonoko's sudden screech drew their attention to her and Ran, who had just come back from buying batteries. They stood in the doorway with Sonoko pointing one arm at him. The shrill sound cut through the noise and Toshihiko looked stunned before replying with the same dumbfounded tone.

"A-and you're the daughter of the Suzuki Zaibatsu."

Aoko made her way over to where her friends were as the groom kept the bride's attention.

"Do you know him, Sonoko?" Ran asked.

"Yeah," she seemed less than impressed. "I've seen him a lot at parties but I never thought _he_ was the one marrying Matsumoto-sensei."

"Why not?" Aoko refrained from giving Ran a dry look, though only because she hadn't been present for Takasugi's previous behavior.

"Well, he's really indecisive and very unreliable. And the Takasugis are saying that he'll bring an end to the line and he's known as a total…" Sonoko's words trailed off as their former music teacher took the initiative to kiss her future husband.

"But he's with Matsumoto-sensei, so he'll be fine," Ran whispered back, her eyes still on the two. Aoko, however, was less convinced.

' _I suppose there's no accounting for taste,'_ she thought dryly. Their eyes moved to the door as it opened for the nth time, and in the back of her mind, Aoko thought the big day wasn't all it was cracked up to be if this was the reality behind the rosy picture.

"You go on ahead," Sayuri told her fiancee as they were called by the man.

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, I'll be right behind you," was her nonchalant reply to his intelligent response.

"O-okay," and as if by some unspoken signal, they all began to trail out of the room and give the bride a moment of privacy. She gave the man another cursory glance and shook her head.

"Oh yeah, I brought some bread and milk for you, Conan-kun. You were hungry right?" Ran asked Shinichi.

"Conan, did you eat breakfast?" Aoko crossed her arms and kept her tone purposefully light.

"Er-" he gave her a nervous smile, knowing she would know if he lied, but also not keen to hear her lecture since he hadn't eaten at a proper time. Her fussing had went haywire after his poisoning and she was wary of a single thing out of place. It caused him no end of annoyance, even if his rational side could see why she was so careful.

The sudden sound from behind them saved him from answering. It sounded almost as if something had been dropped inside the room Matsumoto-sensei was in. It was followed by a much larger thud that drew both their attention.

"What was that noise?" Both rushed to the doors.

"Matsumoto-sensei?" Ran knocked, and not receiving an answer, she opened it, only to scream when she saw her teacher's bloody body on the floor.

She was lying on her back, with her head facing the door, and so they could immediately see the bloody puddle around her mouth. Red seeped through her bodice and her gloves, giving it a startling and horrific contrast.

"Matsumoto-sensei!" The three immediately rushed over. Aoko placed two fingers on Matsumoto-sensei's throat, feeling for a pulse and sighing in relief when she felt it, though faint. She turned to Ran, "Call an ambulance."

Seeing that she was frozen, Aoko moved between her and the body so that she was all Ran could see, shaking her once, "Hurry! She's still alive!" The combination of the order in her voice and the sudden jerk shook Ran out of her frozen state, and she nodded at Aoko before turning and running to get her phone.

"The can's corroding, but the straw's fine," Conan pointed out. Aoko nodded in instant understanding, "We need to wash out her mouth." She reached for the Oolong tea that Ran had left on the table next to them and tried to pour it into her mouth.

"It's not working," Conan noted in frustration.

"Do we have anything with protein?" Aoko questioned, keeping her mentor's mouth open and still pouring. If they didn't have a better option it was better than nothing, and they couldn't afford to stop.

"The milk!" He realized. He immediately ran to the abandoned plastic bag and tore through it to find the tiny cylinder. He scrambled to open it and Aoko moved back so he could pour it into her mouth.

"Open your eyes, sensei," she gritted her teeth as she took the woman's gloved hand in her own. For three years, this woman had stood by her, cheering her on and being a mentor, and a friend. And now she was near death. Her hands trembled as she watched the woman for any signs of waking, of the poison being countered.

She didn't move from her position once as Conan tried to counter the poison. Her hand clenched a satin clad one tighter. Faintly, she could feel it getting colder, could feel how slack the grip was. Part of her feared that she would never see this woman again.

' _Please, please, please. Open your eyes, sensei. I'll never be cheeky with you ever again. I swear I'll never try to skip any of our meetings again. I'll visit you every day in the hospital if you want. Just_ please _wake up,'_

No matter what they did though, Sayuri didn't open her eyes. Conan and Aoko exchanged a look but she looked away. Her eyes landed on the can before instantly averting to the hand she was holding.

A hand stained in blood.

She knew it looked bad, with how Sensei wasn't responding at all. And the poison had been present long enough to corrode the soda. She had been drinking it nearly the entire time they were in the room. Did she even have a chance? Were they merely grasping at straws? A foolish attempt to delay the inevitable?

The faint pulse beneath her fingertips shook her out of her thoughts. Focusing, she could see that she had come to grasp Sensei's limp hand with both of hers, and one was wrapped around her wrist, right over a pulse point. The faint thudding beneath her fingertips reminded her that Matsumoto Sayuri was alive. Even though she was unconscious and clinging to this world by the edges of her fingertips, she was alive.

Aoko touched her mentor's hand to her forehead, desperately willing and praying for her teacher to survive. There was nothing more either of them could do. Shinichi had already emptied out the carton of milk and there was still no response.

Her silent vigil was only broken by the arrival of the paramedics, who immediately put her sensei on a stretcher and brought her to the ambulance.

"Hang on, Sayuri!" Both Takasugi and Takenaka moved to Sayuri's side at the stretcher. She had no idea when they had arrived.

Aoko moved back and kept one eye on them while she spoke with one of the paramedics. He had signaled for her to follow him and they stepped away from the noise to discuss her actions as they had found her near the body when they arrived.

"You gave her milk?" Aoko nodded. The last thing she wanted was for Conan to draw unnecessary attention. It was why she had gestured for him to take a step back when they had burst in.

"I gave her Oolong tea first but it didn't do anything so I tried milk afterwards," she explained how she had grabbed one and then noticed the milk in the bag. Even if they did go over the video, they would conclude she was the one directing the boy.

The man smiled, "Well, at least one person here knew what to do, but don't try that with all poisons. It might make the situation worse."

Aoko nodded, "Of course. I'll leave that to the professionals." It wasn't like the bodies she usually came across were still alive by that point anyway. Which was why she had been both so worried, and relieved, about Sensei. If she was still alive by now, then maybe she had a chance.

"Is anyone here going to ride the ambulance with her?" A fellow paramedic walked in. The question gave her hope. Though the paramedics had been here for only a few minutes she was still alive, which was far more than what she could say of those she usually encountered in cases, and if she was still alive the possibility she would survive this increased.

"I will," Sensei's groom immediately answered.

"We will too," Aoko said in unison with Sonoko and Ran. They had known each other for so long that they could predict the others' movements, or in this case, words. They were stopped, however, by the thundering voice of her mentor's own father.

"Wait! None of you are leaving this room."

"Huh?"

"One of you might be the one who gave her this poison," he turned to the paramedics. "Hurry and go."

"H-hai," Aoko didn't blame him for stuttering, since even she was wide-eyed by the man's actions.

"Can't we worry about who did it later? You're her father, don't you want to be by her side?"

"Hmph," Matsumoto snorted. "I am a policeman before I'm her father. It's my duty to find the truth. And it's not like she'd recover just because we're with her."

' _Oh great,'_ she thought. _'Another justice obsessed fool."_

It was fine for him to say that, but he could at least let the others go with the ambulance, with police guards, if necessary. She tapped her foot impatiently, sending Conan a look to hurry up with his investigation. In the background, she could vaguely hear former future father-in-law and son-in-law arguing.

As she moved over to stand by Sonoko and Ran, she hear Megure's words clearly, "In other words, any one of you six could have put the poison in the can."

"Am I still a suspect?" Takasugi asked.

"Of course. They're capsules that melt in less than a minute." He said. "Part of the capsule was left because the tea tupped over, and cooled down, so the capsule melted at a lower rate, which the criminal didn't count on." He turned to one of his subordinates, a forensics officer, "Send that capsule to be analyzed."

"Hey, is he a suspect, too?" Conan's deceptively high voice suddenly sounded. Aoko looked over to where he was pointing and raised an eyebrow. As always, her cousin had guts. Guts and a hard head.

Megure blanched when he realized who the boy was pointing to, "Oi, oi. A policeman wouldn't try to kill his own daughter."

Aoko crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, "We can't say that for sure, Keibu. It's better to follow protocol."

"Even you, Aoko-kun?" Megure asked. He knew the girl didn't usually get involved in criminal proceedings, and so was surprised she had spoken out at all. It wasn't her usual area of expertise either.

"They're right, I'm a suspect, too," Matsumoto interrupted. "But how will you figure out who did it?"

"W-well, it would be nice if somebody had seen it being dropped in," Megure hesitated. He turned to the girls behind him, "Did you three see anything? You were with her the whole time, right?"

"No, I wasn't watching for it," Sonoko shook her head.

"I didn't see anything," Aoko said in frustration. Even though she had seen them come in, she hadn't noticed them doing anything especially odd, besides touching the lemon tea. Perhaps Kaito would have noticed something, his magician side would have noted misdirection better than she had. She should have made him come as well. Perhaps he would have seen something and Sensei wouldn't be in critical condition.

If only. She shook herself mentally. It was a dangerous state to be in, and one she had witnessed the aftereffects of in many cases. If only the murderer had known she hadn't cheated on him. If only the victim hadn't been so cruel to his friend. If only. It twisted the mind to ignore reality, a crutch because they could not accept it and move on. She wouldn't allow herself to fall to such lows.

"Oh!" Ran suddenly let out. "We were taping the whole time." Her voice broke Aoko's reverie.

"What?"

"Oh yeah, we left it in here when we left the room. I forgot to turn it off," Sonoko remembered.

Megure picked the camera up like it was made of gold. "The criminal might have been caught in the act. All right, get a VCR and a monitor ready ASAP."

Though they watched the video, in the case of the police, several times even, it didn't seem to lend itself any clues. Aoko kept an eye on her cousin, who looked just as stumped as the police.

"Have they found any drying agent?" She whispered in his ear. He shook his head. "I asked one officer if there was any in her bag and they said no."

"Matsumoto-sensei's bag? Did they think she tried to commit suicide?" Aoko asked in surprise.

"No, they checked just in case," he whispered, careful to keep their conversation quiet. She hummed, going over her recollection of events before suddenly remembering something.

"Hold on. They might have a point," Aoko said.

"What?" Conan blinked. "You think she tried to commit suicide? Why?"

Aoko shook her head, "I wouldn't go that far, but her behavior was off a bit. Do you remember her conversation with Takenaka-san and Takasugi-san? There was some kind of subtext we were missing, but her behavior doesn't really correlate with a woman on her wedding day. When she spoke with Takenaka-san, her words were sad, and she had the same expression looking at Takasugi-san. I don't know why she was looking at them like that, and I certainly don't have any room to make a conclusion, but her behavior was odd today."

She met Conan, no Shinichi's gaze head on, willing him to understand when words failed her. Thankfully, he had known her long enough to know what she meant and respected her enough to consider her opinion.

"I'll keep it in mind," he promised.

She was about to respond when she heard Ran ask an officer a far more pertinent question. Giving him a nod, she made her way over to the trio.

"Has there been any news from the hospital?"

"No, not yet," the man replied.

"Th-then, Sensei might have-" Sonoko choked.

"D-don't even think about it," Ran shook her head.

"Sensei's probably still in surgery then," Aoko surmised. "It's not surprising. Sodium hydroxide is a poison and she's had it in her system for so long."

"But putting poison in the lemon tea Sensi loves so much… how terrible," Sonoko rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah," Ran too blinked away tears.

"They'll be caught," she promised. Blue eyes narrowed in fury, though the sight made Sonoko and Ran smile. It was almost comforting seeing that look on her face.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could suddenly see Takenaka-san glare at Takasugi, though she had no idea what had triggered it.

"Keibu! We have the results from the analysis!" An officer broke into the room suddenly. All eyes turned to him instantly.

"First, the capsule is a type that would take about 15 to 16 minutes to melt in a can of lemon tea."

"Fifteen minutes," Megure repeated almost numbly. "T-that means someone who was in here 15-16 minutes before she collapsed. S-superintendent Matsumoto?" The man started before defending himself, pointing to the recording in the background.

"Oi, think about it, it only means that somebody was in here for 15 or so minutes who was in here for 15 or so minutes before she collapsed. She didn't drink it the instant the poison was released." Matsumoto refuted.

"But that means that the groom and I are now in the clear since we were in here less than 10 minutes or so before she collapsed." The former student said. It was a good thing she hadn't married _him_.

"But there was one thing strange about the can with poison," the officer went on, either uncaring or unhearing of the dynamic around him. "Matsumoto-san's fingerprints aren't on it."

"What are you talking about?" The man roared. "Take a look. I'm holding the can right here. Damn it, are you trying to make me look guilty?"

Aoko walked over to where Conan was, rewatching the video while Megure hastily ordered his men to double check.

"See anything weird?" She asked.

Her words jolted him out of trance and he blinked, looking around before he focused on her. He gave her a narrow-eyed look for disrupting his concentration and she shrugged, "Yeah. The lemon tea can, notice anything?"

She turned to the TV as he rewound the last few seconds. It took her a few moments to see what had gotten his attention. "The labels," she realized. "They're on opposite sides."

Conan nodded. "Right. In the first image, the label was on the right side but after the camera was placed on the chair the label was on the wrong side."

"And this was after Sonoko placed her can on the table, the same brand of tea Sensei was drinking," Aoko realized.

"Which means Sensei most likely picked up Sonoko's," Conan nodded.

Aoko hmmed, and almost as one they turned to the suspects. "Which means that since it was Sonoko's can, any one of our suspects could have killed her. The groom and that senpai are suspects again."

"But that leaves the question of how the capsule got inside," Conan dug his hands into his pockets. Standing beside each other, Aoko wondered at the picture they made, a stark contrast in height, and yet they stood together against the room. "Forensics estimated that it should have been in there for at least 15-16 minutes to get to that state and if she switched cans midway through that should be impossible."

Aoko frowned, "I've been thinking that Sensei's behavior was odd today, but with how everything seems to point, it seems more and more likely that Sensei put it in herself."

"Though that raises the question of why she would bother switching cans." Conan pointed out. "Did she want to give us a suspect, did she do it on accident? There's too little evidence to make assumptions," he pointed out.

Suddenly he stilled and Aoko also quieted as she realized he had realized something. Before she could ask though, Megure's voice drew her eyes to him.

"You found the drying agent?" Conan and Aoko exchanged a look before immediately making their way over. "This must be what the criminal carried the caustic soda in since that stuff's weak to water. Have it analyzed immediately."

"Yes sir."

The two approached the officer, "Hey, where did you find that? Was it in this room?" The man glanced down at him in surprise before giving her a hesitant look. She nodded slightly, giving silent permission for him to continue.

"It was in the garbage can in the hall," he said at last. From the way he looked back to her it was obvious he would have preferred to have kept quiet to the child.

"The hall?" This time she was the one who asked. "Not outside the window?"

"Yes, we found it in the hall," he confirmed. He answered her question readily, unlike how he had hesitated to answer Conan and she knew at least part of it was because the police were so familiar with her face. She was often around Shinichi and she aided the police of her own initiative sometimes as well.

"Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up!" Megure came out from the side and started scolding the man.

"It's fine, Keibu. I was the one that held him back. He merely answered a question of mine," she told him. Since he had helped her, she would cover for him this time.

"Oh, Aoko-kun?" With her words, the man seemed to calm. "Did you manage to find anything? The criminal? A clue?"

She tilted her head, "Perhaps." His eyes lit up. "Gather the suspects," her eyes met with Conan's, "it's time for the deduction to take place."

Now that they had found where the bottle had been found, that meant that only one person could have committed the crime. The crime of staining Sensei's white dress red. There was no longer any doubt, only one person could have done it.

"Of course, of course," Megure nodded eagerly. He was used to the Kudo family and their dramatic antics, and he had known the two children of said family since they were children and so were well aware of their capabilities. If Nakamori Aoko said she had found the killer, then the police would be ready to arrest him.

Once he moved away, she was left alone with Conan, "Leave this to me." He nodded, a smile crossing his face. "It's been a while since we've worked together on a case, hasn't it? You usually prefer to be on the sidelines." He looked up at her, eyes as warm as his smile, but her attention was on the room. Her gaze shifted over the crowd coolly but stayed on one person in particular. Her eyes turned cold and her attention was so focused on the room that she missed Conan's words.

"Yes, well, this time it seems I couldn't help but get involved," she said. His smile dropped at her words but he continued watching her. She finally turned and met his gaze.

Though she usually let Shinichi take the glory, in their early days she had been right beside him, bouncing ideas off of each other and debating possibilities. As he had grown more capable, and more efficient, she usually preferred to watch rather than take part and she was grateful he allowed her to do so.

But with his new body, and the fact that he was supposed to be in hiding, Aoko didn't want Conan to draw attention solving cases. From what he had told her, he had solved that problem by using Ran's father, an actual detective, if an incompetent one, to solve cases. Without him here, he would either need to dart someone else or have her solve the case for him. Tranquilizing someone to use them to solve a case was risky if someone else realized something was off and almost redundant in face of another member of the Kudo family there to solve cases.

That, and they had made it personal. And Nakamori Aoko was nothing if not vindictive.

"Why did the police suddenly make us gather around here?"

"Do you know who did it?"

"Er, well, we're about to find out?" Megure side waved. "Aoko-kun, please be sure to handle everything."

"You're leaving this to a kid?"

"Are you saying the police aren't doing their jobs and have other people do their jobs for them?"

"Nakamori-san's ability is uncontested." The Superintendent's booming words, or perhaps his expression, cut off all protests. "She has been instrumental in solving several murder cases and has aided the police with serial crimes as well."

Megure ignored the disgruntled looks around him and urged her on, "Aoko-kun, who's the criminal?" He had seen her ability, alongside her cousin's, first hand and knew them well enough to know their competence.

Aoko nodded towards the man that, in many ways, was an uncle to her, "All in due time, Megure-keibu." She leaned back against the table and crossed her arms and then one leg over the other before cooly moving her gaze across the people gathered there. The officers gave her their full attention, some with their notebooks out and ready to take notes. Matsumoto-keishi stared down at her impassively, waiting to see what she would say. He had calmed down from his earlier outburst and was now as impenetrable as ever. Ran and Sonoko waited anxiously for her to finish, intent to go to their Sensei's side, and there was relief that the case would finally be wrapped up.

Takenaka and Takasugi, however, drew her greatest attention. After she had seen the other glare at the man suddenly, she had noticed that the woman would periodically glance in his direction. She couldn't tell exactly why, but there was emotion there. The groom was more collected than she would have thought, considering the woman he was going to marry was fighting for her life.

"For a start, there were eight people who came in and out of this room. In chronological order, we have our group of four," she gestured to her friends, "Shortly afterwards was Takenaka-san, who was the one who brought the lemon tea inside. Following that was Matsumoto-san, with Umemiya-san afterward. Of course, Ran and Sonoko left for a period of time and came inside after the final person, the groom, Takasugi-san, came inside. In total, there are eight suspects." She explained.

"Essentially, any of these eight people could have poisoned Sensei's lemon tea. We can exclude anyone that came before Sensei had her tea since they wouldn't have been able to poison it." Conan summarized. She glanced down at him and he grinned back at her.

"Hold on," Megure stopped her, "There are only six suspects. We found the capsule in the tea, which takes 15 minutes to disintegrate and let the poison out. Which means the suspect must have put it in 15 or so minutes before she collapsed. So Umemiya-kun and Takasugi-san couldn't have done it."

Aoko tilted her head in understanding, "You're not wrong to assume that. However," and here she lowered her voice to convey the full gravity of the next sentence. "That is only on the supposition that the poison was truly inside the capsule."

"Wait, what?" She didn't blame him for being stunned. It was counterintuitive to state that the poison capsule didn't contain the poison.

"All we know is that a portion of the capsule was floating in the tea. We don't know if the poison was originally inside the capsule."

"Then the capsule…"

"Right. The capsule and the poison were placed inside separately."

"But why?" Megure asked, looking lost. He wasn't the only one, around them, everyone else seemed confused by the sudden unreasonable statement.

"By placing the capsule inside like that, the poisoner created an illusion. The illusion of a timespan. We would be constrained to thinking that the act happened at a certain time. And therefore the chief suspect would be the one who interacted with the victim at that time."

"If that's true then you two could have done it as well," Megure looked behind him to the two men they had previously excluded as suspects.

"Hold on a second. That's just theory. You can't just say the poison capsule didn't have the poison," Umemiya protested.

"You're right," Aoko turned her head to the man.

"Huh?"

"Without evidence, it's merely a theory," she forestalled his protests by raising a hand. "Which is why I'll direct your attention to the tape Sonoko and Ran were making."

"The tape? But the police were looking at it for hours and they didn't find anything."

Aoko stayed silent as Conan picked up the remote and fast-forwarded the recording until just a few seconds before Ran and Sonoko had left the room and paused so she could explain. It was only then that she began speaking

"About seven minutes before Matsumoto-sensei collapsed Ran and Sonoko ran out of batteries and went to buy some." Conan pressed the play button and it showed Sensei placing her can down just seconds before Sonoko left her own bottle on the table and ran out with Ran. He paused the video to the right moment.

"What about it?" Megure asked, not seeing anything suspicious.

"Take a good look at the label on the can at the beginning and the end of the clip." Conan obediently played it back a few seconds and let it run again before pausing it just before Sensei picked up the can.

"The label," he suddenly realized. "It's facing the other way. But why?"

She nodded approvingly at him, glad he had figured it out so quickly. But instead of answering directly, she turned to Sonoko, "Sonoko, when you left the room, where did you place your can?"

The girl blinked, before tilting her head and trying to focus, "Uh, I wasn't really paying attention, but I think it was on top of the table." She straightened. "Then that means… the can is-"

"Yes," She nodded. "The can is actually yours. But since one managed to cover the other it looked like one can, and Sensei took the one in front, your can, by accident. The proof is that Umemiya-san and Matsumoto-keishi's fingerprints aren't on it. However, yours will most likely be present."

"Is that true?" Megure asked the forensic officer behind him.

"H-hai. It's just like she said." The man agreed. They hadn't felt the need to inform the inspector of Sonoko-san's fingerprints. Like the Inspector, the police force hasn't considered the girls serious suspects and had rather detained them per protocol. They had both been gone for a large amount of time and so it would have been difficult for them to have poisoned the victim's can.

"In other words, Sonoko was the one holding the poisoned tea until seven minutes before she collapsed." She paused to let them take in the words. "Of course, this is also why everyone who entered beforehand, and those who entered before Ran and Sonoko, are innocent. Since the poison was in the tea, only someone who had come in after the tea had been brought inside and after Sonoko left would have been able to poison it."

She looked directly at the groom for the next part, "Sonoko held the can until the seven minutes before Sensei collapsed. Since nobody else touched it before then, it couldn't have been poisoned, otherwise, Sonoko would have been poisoned as well," Sonoko looked distinctly ill at that, no doubt remembering the blood that had coated Sensei's gown. The white background only heightened the chilling image.

"There's the possibility Suzuki-san poisoned it herself," Takasugi pointed out. His words immediately enraged both Ran and Sonoko.

Aoko merely regarded him coolly, "A possibility," she admitted. "But Matsumoto-sensei took the can by accident. And in doing so, her own fingerprints would be on the poisoned can. It would have been far more sensible to simply place the poison in Matsumoto-sensei's can."

"I see," Megure nodded. "It's unthinkable." No killer would be so foolish, and Sonoko-kun was too straightforward to resort to such tactics. While Aoko-kun hadn't provided proof of innocence yet, Megure was familiar enough with their deduction style that he knew the two preferred to explain why surrounding parties were innocent before moving on to the perpetrator. It was a style he appreciated in that it certainly made his reports easier.

"Which means someone put the poison inside in the few minutes between when Sensei took Sonoko's can and when she collapsed. The only people in the room at the time were Takasugi-san, Conan, Sonoko, Ran, and myself." Which meant that rather than eight suspects, they were down to five, or rather two.

"Conan can naturally be excluded since he's a child," from the way he winced, she guessed being a child was still a sore subject even when it gave him an advantage. "Ran and Sonoko left for a time, as stated earlier, and when they returned Takasugi-san was holding the can and handed it back to Sensei so they couldn't have done it either. I, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall the entire time, and so never touched the can, as you can see from the tape. As such it would have been impossible for me to have poisoned it."

"So then it's him," Megure looked to the groom.

"No," Aoko shook her head. They needed to cover all the bases. There would be times when neither she nor Shinichi would be there and the police would need to look at all possibilities before eliminating them by evidence, not jumping to one or another the instant a clue had been found.  
"There's still one more person who could have poisoned her."

"Who? Everyone's right here." Megure waved his hand to show the people behind him. Indeed, every suspect had been kept in this room since the police had found the caustic soda.

"Matsumoto-sensei herself." Her words instantly caused an uproar. Megure repeated her words in shock, stunned by the idea of suicide, and one they had dismissed when they hadn't found drying agent in her bag. Ran and Sonoko refused to believe such a passionate teacher and fearless woman would committee suicide. Curiously, she noted that Takenaka-san remained silent.

"Are you saying my daughter tried to kill herself?" Matsumoto narrowed his eyes at her. "And on her own wedding day?"

She eyed him cooly, "We must consider all possibilities, Keishi." Whether it was because of her candid tone or how she didn't waver at his rage, he allowed her to continue.

"If she did place the poison inside herself, then the capsule was to lay the blame on someone else. However, she wouldn't have been able to predict who would have been with her at what time, which would make the subsequent suspect a random guest. But if she was going to poison herself, then she would have only put the poison in right before she collapsed, and placed it without the capsule so it would dissolve quicker." She gave them a meaningful glance.

"Therefore she must have a drying agent. Sodium hydroxide absorbs even moisture in the air, and upon liquifying, is very dangerous. As such, she would have needed a drying agent."

"B-but the drying agent was found in the hall," Megure protested. "The bride was in here the entire time."

"Exactly. If Matsumoto-san had poisoned herself the drying agent would have been found in here or outside the window. Since it wasn't that meant that someone else was trying to poison her. And the only one who could have poisoned Sensei's lemon tea…"

She stood up from the table and raised a hand, "The only one who could have poisoned her is you, Takasugi-san."

Takasugi stayed still, not reacting to her assertion even as Takenaka-san approached him, "T-Toshihiko… you-" her voice broke before she could finish.

"H-how dare you," Matsumoto-keishi roared as he erupted. He stormed over and grabbed him by the lapels and shook him. "Tell me why! Why did you poison her?"

Toshihiko, who has remained still up until that moment, smiled. It was a cold smile, one that showed the emptiness in his eyes. Even as he was shaken, he appeared more doll than human.

"I wanted you to feel it, too." The words came out quietly, almost too quietly for the grieving father before him to understand.

"What?"

Suddenly, what had once been clouded by emptiness rang with fire. "I wanted you to feel it, too! The pain I felt twenty years ago!"

"T-twenty years ago?"

"You wouldn't have remembered, since it cleared up as a simple accident," the curl in his lips showed the clear disdain he had for the officer before him and Aoko wondered how he had managed to hide it for so long.

' _I would almost be impressed if I didn't want to snap his neck myself,'_ she mused, deciding not to intervene. If it did get violent, she knew Matsumoto-keishi would be able to defend himself. And best to let him get it out now than to have any more resentment to store away in prison. The last thing she wanted was for him to go after Sensei even after his release.

"Heh! If you forgot all about it, then I'll refresh your memory. Twenty years ago, when you were chasing a criminal you crashed into a wall. My mom got caught up in it and died. She was still alive when it happened, if you'd taken her to the hospital in your patrol car she would've been saved. But you-"

He took a moment to collect himself before continuing, "Thirty minutes later Mom stopped breathing. I've never forgotten that day… or your cold hearted face!"

"I-is that true?" Megure asked.

Matsumoto didn't move, didn't lower his face, didn't hesitate, but his voice softened, "Yes." That one word carried the regret he had carried for over twenty years. "I didn't see her. She was in the shadow of the car. When I learned about it afterward I went to his house but he'd already moved away."

"She was my only relative," Takasugi went on. His own tone had softened, but there was an almost hysterical edge to it. "I was adopted by the childless Takasugi family. I'd lost everything so I went through Middle School and Highschool and College like a shell… until I met that woman in college."

Takasugi met Matsumoto's gaze head on, hatred clear in his eyes, and beneath it, bitterness. He bared his teeth, "As soon as I knew she was your daughter the flame of revenge began burning inside me."

"Th-then, why," Matsumoto clenched his own teeth, eyes clamped shut, "Why didn't you kill _me_?"

"Hmph, if you'd died then you wouldn't feel it, would you?" A smile broke over his face again. This time it contained the triumph of knowing he had won. "The sadness… of losing a loved one."

His smile turned razor sharp as he turned to address the woman behind him, "I was lucky, Kazumi. I met Sayuri because she was your friend when you were my girlfriend." He snorted and lowered his head. "But she was stupid. She didn't even know I approached her for revenge and accepted my proposal so easily. She was probably blinded by the Takasugi fortune."

The sudden sound of skin on skin broke the hold his words cast over his audience. Takasugi himself was too surprised to even touch his cheek after she had slapped him, merely looking back at her with wide eyes. "You're the one who doesn't know anything!"

"Ka-Kazumi."

"Sayuri knew everything. About the incident, about your family."

"L-liar! Why would accept if she knew-"

"Can't you tell by looking at her lemon tea?" Even with the distance between them, Aoko could see the tears in the woman's eyes. "You're the guy she's been thinking about for twenty years. Her first love."

Even Aoko started at that. _'It looks like the man you were waiting for turned out to be a fool, Sensei.'_

"Sayuri kept saying you were just like him so I did some digging around, like for your old address. That's when we found out you were the same guy she knew twenty years ago, and also about that incident. Sayuri was worried the whole time after she accepted the proposal… trying to think of a way to make you forgive her father.

"But you… _but you_ …"

"Superintendent!" The sudden cry drew everyone's attention. Even though the case was now over there was only one reason why the officer would address Matsumoto over Megure. "We've just received news from the hospital. Your daughter is through surgery and is in stable condition."

"I-I see." Even if it wasn't the most eloquent response, the small, relieved smile that curled over his face and the way the tension left his body showed his feelings just as well.

Around them, there were sounds of joy as officers cheered. Sonoko nearly started crying, wailing her relief as she hugged Ran. Even Conan was drawn into the festivities as Ran pulled him into a hug.

Only two people remained still. Aoko and Takasugi. He stood with his back to her and his head lowered so she couldn't see his face. Even as everyone around them danced, they alone remained frozen. And she watched him like a panther did before it pounced.

"Aoko," the soft touch on her arm tore her attention away from the murderer and to Ran, who touched her arm hesitantly. She looked over in the direction Aoko had been looking at, towards Takasugi, hesitantly and lowered her hand. "It's good that Sensei's okay, isn't it?"

She stared at Ran for a moment, at the lavender eyes that met her own. Eyes that were full of warmth, but tinged with concern. "Yes," she said finally, and turned away from the man. She allowed Ran to lead her away from him but tossed a final look over her shoulder.

' _Disgusting.'_

* * *

It was after a long day that Aoko found herself at home. Even after a bath she couldn't help but lay back on the couch and covers her eyes with an arm, completely exhausted. She had become used to random events turning into murder scenes and even accompanying the police for a statement afterwards.

This time, however, after finishing with the police Aoko had made her way over to the hospital to check up on Matsumoto-sensei. Sonoko had been keeping her up to date on the situation while she waited for the paperwork to finish but the two had already left the hospital by the time Aoko had arrived.

She had stayed for several hours and merely sat beside her mentor. She had come out of surgery but she was still unconscious so Aoko had spent most of that time speaking with the doctors about her condition. While her medical knowledge was far from exceptional, she did have some due to both researching for her books and what might as well constitute as on the job training with the police's forensics division.

By the time she had arrived home, it was already late so she had merely bought a convenience store dinner for them both. She hadn't had the time to prepare anything and her father had arrived earlier than he usually did. Thankfully, Kaito had texted in advance and said he wouldn't be dining with them that night.

"So how was the wedding?" Her father questioned as he picked at the rice distastefully. She hid a smile. Her father, who was no stranger to convenience store food, especially on the job, had a strange aversion to it being served at home.

"The bride got poisoned," she answered as she took a bite out of the pickle. For a moment her dad looked at her as though he was wondering if she was serious.

"If it was anyone else I would think it's a bad joke," he finally sighed. "But your luck is just that bad."

"It is not!"

Ginzo leveled a skeptical look at his daughter and she conceded sheepishly. Even if she wished to argue there was little to say in her defense and more than enough ammunition against her.

"So, I'm guessing Shinichi-kun solved the murder?" He asked. Aoko had told him how it was their old middle school teacher's wedding so the boy had reason to be there, especially since he knew his daughter would drag him along. That and it seemed corpses dropped like flies whenever the boy was near.

"Actually, he didn't manage to attend. The last time I spoke to him he told me he was busy on a case."

"Hmm," her father frowned. "If he's not careful he'll spend so much time on his cases he won't be able to finish school."

"He's smart enough to get by either way," she shrugged. Even if Japan's school system didn't allow one to test out of classes, with Shinichi's own fame and his status within the country she wouldn't be surprised if they allowed him special parameters.

"Hm," he grunted noncommittally. "Who solved the case then?"

"I did."

He started and Aoko couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in amusement. He obviously hadn't been expecting that. "But you don't usually solve cases," he chose his words carefully. The last thing he wanted was to trigger his daughter's temper, but her involvement surprised him.

She shrugged, "This time I needed to step in. Shinichi wasn't there and Matsumoto-sensei was the victim. I could hardly stand to the side." He gave her a complex look, which she ignored and focused on finishing her meal.

"How is Matsumoto-sensei?"

She paused, "Sensei made it out of surgery and her condition is stable. I visited her at the hospital after I left the police station. The doctors say she should be making a full recovery."

Ginzo nodded, "Good, good." He then pointed at their dinner. "Is that why we have this for dinner?"

"You don't need to look so disgusted, Otou-san. I know you've had plenty of convenience store meals on the job, especially when I was a child."

"Yes, but I definitely prefer home-cooked meals," he argued. She rolled her eyes, "Alright. I'll make sure you won't have to eat them any more than necessary." _'Even though I make you enough food that you rarely do'._

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Was that cheekiness there, Aoko?"

"Of course not," to which she earned a mock glare.

"Definitely impertinence," he stressed.

She gave him a cheeky smile, "You're just going to have to live with it, Otou-san. I'm not as commandable as your men,"

He snorted, "If my men were as undisciplined as you, I would have fired them already."

"I'm not undisciplined. I just wouldn't follow your orders," she teased. He gave her an unimpressed look.

"An officer that doesn't follow orders is the last thing I need, especially now," he grunted.

"Oh? Did Kid send another heist note?"

Her father sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Not exactly. There's a gem that's going to show in an exhibit that will most likely catch his attention but there hasn't been a heist note yet."

"Does the owner not want the police involved?" That did happen sometimes. A few of the more traditional families preferred to handle the affair by themselves and the police were relegated to perimeter surveillance since they weren't allowed on the property.

"No, no, nothing like that. The gem belongs to the royal family of a foreign country, one that will be visiting Japan." Aoko waited patiently for him to continue. She knew her father well enough to know that the status of the people he interacted with had little hold over him. "Naturally, it's important but Kid's targeted more than one high ranking delegate. If anything, it's more toned down than his international heists from back then."

"But?" She questioned lightly. At this point, she could see that he was merely speaking out loud but she was curious about what was on his mind and didn't want to interrupt him.

Ginzo sighed, the sound leaving him in an almost mournful way, "The higher-ups aren't happy with me. They've been getting on to me about how I've been letting Kid escape time and time again. Even after eight years I still couldn't catch him. They're thinking of replacing me if I don't redeem myself somehow."

Aoko froze, staring at him in mute shock. Of all the problems her father could have been facing she hadn't expected that one. It explained why he had been so upset but she had no idea how to react. What should she say? What could she say? Her dad didn't like pretty words of encouragement and she was terrible at giving them.

All of a sudden her father snapped out of his trance and looked contrite, "I'm sorry, Aoko. I shouldn't be bothering you with all of this. It's my problem and I'll definitely solve it." The last part sounded as though he was forcing himself to be confident. He then broke out into grating, and obviously fake, laughter.

"I don't mind hearing about your problems, Otou-san," she said softly. He stopped mid-laugh and just looked at her for a while. Finally, his eyes softened, "You're so much like your mother, Aoko."

After a moment though, his gaze broke away and they both fell silent. Their gazes were focused on the food as they finished their meals. Aoko finished before her father and began to gather the trash, while also putting away the spices, and waited for him to finish. She kept her eyes on the table as she began clearing it.

Ginzo suddenly cleared his throat, "So, uh, where's Kaito-kun? He didn't show up for dinner tonight,"

"He said he would be talking with his mom for a while and so he wouldn't be eating with us." Chikage-san would make sure that he ate something at least.

The room was silent again and this time her father didn't try to start conversation. When he was done he allowed Aoko to take it away and muttered something about 'thinking up a Kid capture plan' before he scurried away.

Aoko then began cleaning the table and sweeping the floors. It was a habit she had picked up as a child when her early efforts at cooking had resulted in the kitchen turning into a medium for abstract art. Now with only the two of them and with both often away, she usually only found dust. Still, it was calming in a way and she found it satisfying to have the kitchen as clean as it had been in the morning.

And it allowed her some time to think. The tedious nature of the task often allowed her to reflect over the day, or sometimes a period to allow ideas to flood in. Unlike the last few nights where her thoughts had instantly centered on Shinichi, tonight she thought about her father's situation.

He had told her his superiors weren't happy with Kid constantly evading capture. Her father was a capable officer in his division so it wouldn't be surprising if they had him only handle fraud cases. Kid might be handed to the theft division then.

No, one of the biggest reasons why Kid had been tasked to the fraud division was the budget. Since fraud cases usually involved high ranking individuals and corporations they would need the money to investigate, capable hackers and programmers, and entire teams built around desk jockeying. Fraud had one of the largest personnel in the entire police station. With how elaborate Kid heists were, and the media attention they drew, fraud was most likely the best department to assign him to. Any other division would be both understaffed and limited by budget.

Despite it involving high profile people, including but not limited to CEOs and politicians, even media moguls, it was a relatively safe division and would involve little action. It was the polar opposite of the homicide division with their often brutal car chases, serial murders, and all around danger.

Which meant that Kid's case would most likely be handed to another Inspector in fraud. Her father was one of the highest ranked inspectors in the division so she had a good idea of who most likely gain the responsibility of catching Kid should he be removed from the case.

At the same time though, there was the possibility that HQ would reassign her father regardless of his success. Nakamori Ginzo was one of the best fraud inspectors of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force. After more than a decade of Kid heists, the higher ups had to have learned that catching the thief was an exercise in futility. It was a waste in time and resources, resources like her father that would be better focused on more worthwhile endeavors.

It was an idea that she herself agreed with. Kid was a nonviolent criminal, whose thefts were essentially highly publicized, if illegal, magic shows. It would be more efficient not to stand against public fervor and to allow those who did wish to challenge Kid, like Shinichi, to go against him, without wasting police resources on him.

And yet it was also a show of power. The problem with Kid heists being so popular was that they also showed the police's perpetual defeat. Even if public favor rested with Kid, it wasn't a good idea for the police to seem incapable. It was especially important with Kid's status as an international criminal. Kid heists were no doubt also broadcasted in foreign nations and they would see the mockery Kid made of the Japanese police. It was embarrassing on a political level.

In essence, though it was a waste of resources, they couldn't afford to not have police chase him. Inspector Nakamori was too talented to be taken off the force, but he would no doubt be reassigned. But like Zenigata, her father's true love in life was chasing Kid as he did Lupin. And nothing else would make him happier.

As far as she could tell, asking Kid to purposefully lose was likely the best way to help her father keep his position, a position she knew he loved. It was also about as likely as her father catching him. Kid was known for his gentlemanly behavior but she doubted that extended to him saving his opponent's career, especially at the cost of his own.

She sighed. The easiest solution would be for her father to one-up Kid. Which meant that she would need to plan out a way for him to get the jewel from Kid. Or rather, she would need to get the jewel and make sure it was found on him instead. If it was found in the vicinity of the cameras then that would be even better.

A thought prickled in her mind. She had nearly forgotten about Kaito and his mysterious involvement with Kid. If he was involved, he would definitely help her father keep his position. She fingered the broom thoughtfully and hummed. A method to kill two birds with one stone, indeed. And she was interested in testing her mettle against the infamous thief.

Shinichi had gotten the opportunity some time ago. It seemed now it was hers.

The thought drew her short. Shinichi. She'd forgotten to tell her father about Conan. She'd been meaning to tell him today but his sudden confession had drawn her short and the air had turned awkward afterward.

She didn't want to interrupt him in the middle of his planning either, a feeling she understood as it was the same for her writing, and it wasn't as though he would see Conan anytime soon. She would be able to tell him after the case. With how he got during heists she doubted he would comprehend a sentence she said if it didn't contain Kid in it.

And that reminded her of the issues she would have to resolve with Conan's legal… everything. He would no doubt be irritated with her for it but it seemed she had no choice but to do _that_.

* * *

**Omake 1:**

Two months later, they accompanied Matsumoto-sensei as she was released from the hospital. Walking down the street together, it was almost like they were back in middle school and Sensei was walking her back after she had made Aoko stay as well.

"I'm glad you got out earlier than expected," Sonoko said.

"They said it was only because someone gave me emergency care right after it happened." Aoko side-eyed Conan as he began coughing. Ran promptly asked if he was okay. 

"And I heard Toshihiko-san got off with a light sentence," Ran added.

"Of course, I drank that stuff on my own." Matsumoto-sensei lowered her head, a sad smile dampening over her features. "But I still got him in trouble. He must hate me now."

"Sensei," Aoko said. "You're insane." The words drew a smile from the woman before it fell.

"Aoko-chan," her name was said fondly, if with a hint of exasperation.

"Hey, don't feel down," Ran tried to cheer her up as Sonoko glared at Aoko, silently ordering her to be softer, "And you, stay quiet if you can't say anything nice."

"I'll buy you a drink," Sonoko suggested desperately, trying to cover up Aoko's harsh words. At the same time, she stepped between them so Sensei couldn't see Aoko's (no doubt) unimpressed expression.

"Really?" She seemed to cheer up instantly. "Let's see, I want… lemon tea. Gotta treasure your memories."

"Geez," Sonoko sighed.

"You'll never get married if you keep that up," Ran sweatdropped.

"You're hopeless," Aoko sighed, ignoring the way both girls dug their elbow into her sides.

' _Sensei, you have terrible taste in men.'_

"I'm sick of marriage anyway," she waved them off. It was unfortunate that she got married anyway. And to that man of all people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry about the late update, guys. I was originally going to go straight to the main plot but then I realized I couldn't do that and I didn't have enough of her character revealed in this to jump forward so I had to scrap that idea and include an entirely new segment.
> 
> AN 2: So Aoko solved this murder. I kept her deduction style very similar to Shinichi's own, but it is a bit different as well. While her observations are very different, she like him, focuses much more on evidence, and they've both been influenced by Yusaku in how they present their cases. Remember, she originally did tag team with Shinichi, and they would often spin a web around the offender before trapping them and proving their guilt
> 
> AN 3: So as you've no doubt found out by now, I have a love-hate relationship with the comma; it seems that no matter how many times I learn how to use them correctly I always end up forgetting and doing my own thing. However, I just can't stop using them since my style is made up of a lot of complex sentences and commas are kinda necessary for that. So sorry about that.


	5. The Killer Detective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Between the detective with a gun or Aoko, Kuroba Kaito would chance the man with a reputation for murder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, I've finally got this up! Sorry about the long wait.

In the dark of the night, the arrival of a single plane drew the attention of the numerous cameras stationed at the entrance. Reporters crowded around the entrance, fighting to be closest to the door as the person they were waiting for made an entrance. 

The sounds of her heels created a repetition of clangs against the hard floor. Her long gown was beautifully made, and tailored especially for her. Blonde hair that floated around her shoulders bounced with each step she took. A polite smile graced her lips as sky blue eyes regarded the crowd before her. 

Princess Anne of the Duchy of Sabrina had arrived. 

The reporters instantly closed in, microphones at the ready as cameras snapped pictures and recorded the questions their respective news stations asked. 

“We’ve heard the purpose of your visit is the famous paintings and gems exhibitions from the Duchy of Sabrina,” one reporter managed to speak over the clatter of the others. 

“Is that diamond around your neck the famous Lots of Sunshine in Paris?” 

“Yes,” despite the chaos around her, the princess mantainted admirable composure. Her words came smoothly and fluidly, as though she was a native speaker of the language. 

“Will that be on display, too?”

“Of course,” she smile brightly, “I’d like to treat my friends in Japan to the sight as much as possible.” Her next words however, drew gasps from the audience. “Of course that goes for Kaitou Kid as well.” 

“So can we take that as a direct challenge to Kid?” One bold reporter grinned after taking a moment to process her words. Over the course of Kid’s illustrious and rather infamous career many a challenger had stood against him, but this was the first time royalty had deigned to participate. 

“Yes. Naturally, I absolutely will not allow Kid to steal it.” Princess Anne vowed. Her next words however, fell more in line with the words of the gracious host she was raised to be.“To commemorate this event, we will be holding an opening party at the exhibition hall tomorrow night. For this party so long as you can show magic, you’re invited no matter if you’re a professional or an amateur. I would also like the children to participate to their hearts’ content.”

The chatter increased again as the media began to hound the Princess for more information, both on the jewel and the sudden announcement of a party. There was one person, however, who wasn’t happy about the news of a party. 

“A party?” Nakamori scowled. “They didn’t tell me. If they do something like that who knows how taxing my security will be.” He began muttering to himself about how he would need to increase the number of officers, and he would need to cover the grounds, look over the blueprints, so much to do. 

“Belmont!” The Princess’ sudden cry cut through his muttering. “Someone, stop my Belmont!” 

The cat, as felines seemed inclined to do, was perfectly content to ignore and even disobey it’s owner and curious of it’s new surroundings, and used to being accommodated as the treasure of a royal bloodline, was ready to play. It dove out of her arms and, curious of it’s new surroundings, headed out to play. 

The sudden movement from the cat aroused attention in the previously content spectators. Several people stepped out of the way as the cat made its way through the crowd, either out of a distaste for cats or worry over offending it’s owner.

It’s path, however, lead straight for the man most displeased with the princess’s sudden news. Luckily, it seemed his prickly nature only extended to humans. He extended his arms and soothened his voice, “Kochi, kochi, come over here Belmo-” 

**Bang!**

The sound of a gunshot tossed the crowd into panic. The bullet landed mere inches from where Nakamori had been crouching, and had it travelled an inch more in either direction it would have hit either the Inspector or the Princess' cat. Nakamori himself seemed stunned as he stayed on the ground, eying the bullet hole in incomprehension. 

Three more shots rang, landing around the cat. Had there been more, it would no doubt have permanently etched his outline into the ground. Nakamori looked up, even as the crowd began panicking, and his eyes landed on the man that had nearly shot him. 

He was a foreigner, dressed in a white suit with sunglasses and his hair slicked back in a manner more redolent of a gangster than an officer of the law. He strode through the throngs of people with an easy confidence, almost arrogance really, and picked up the trembling cat in his hands. 

“You can’t do that, Belmont,” he scolded the cat. His voice was sugary and smooth like syrup, if sleazy. 

“What the hell was that? I’ll arrest you!” Having regained his composure, the sudden action set off Nakamori’s legendary temper. 

“Hah?” The blonde man turned to him and bemusement turned to recognition, condescension clear in his tone. “Oh, so it’s you, the clumsy inspector who’s been dancing to Kaitou Kid’s tune.” 

“What was that?” His words enraged Nakamori even more, who clenched his fist and glared at him as he shouted back. 

“Europe’s number one detective, Delon.” Delon removed his sunglasses and looked Nakamori in the eye. Even without the sunglasses, he didn’t quite manage to subdue his gangster aura. 

Nakamori drew back as if burned, _‘Delon. I’ve heard of him. In order to catch the culprit, he’d even resort to shooting his targets without blinking an eye.’_

“Good timing. Let me say this to you first. We won’t be needing the assistance of the Japanese police for our party.” 

“You don’t need it?” Nakamori-keibu repeated in incomprehension. 

“How could we possibly trust your squad, which has continuously let Kid slip away? Our police force from the Duchy of Sabrina will suffice.” The look between the two would have been that of rivals if they had considered each other equals. 

Delon turned to the camera directly behind him, “This is for Kaitou Kid. You’ve been rumored to be the Japanese Arsene Lupin, even in my own country, but you’re just another petty thief in my eyes. If you dare to steal the gem glittering around the Princess’ neck, then come get it. I’ll arrest you within three seconds.”

His challenge momentarily silenced those listening to him before the entire room erupted into noise. Delon threw his head back and laughed. It was a boisterous laugh, one that was designed to draw attention though unintentionally irritated as well. 

His laugh was cut short when out of the crowd a single girl strode toward him. The boy by her side gaped as she strode through the police force, which quickly parted. There was an air of command about her, in her movements and even more visible in the instant subservience of the officers around her despite her youth and clear civilian status.

She ignored the wide eyed crowd and her gaping friend and calmly picked up the cat that trembled at Delon’s ankles. After he had placed it there to address Nakamori-keibu, it had been too terrified to move and had turned to stone. A trembling stone. 

She held it in her arms and every so slowly the trembling cat began to calm. While still slightly scared, it far preferred the newcomer to the loud one. Perhaps it was the mysterious woman’s lack of action, or just the distance from the gun-totting detective but it's fur began to settle. Alert, but not daring to move just yet, it peered cautiously up at it’s new perch.

She, however, seemed more interested in the man she had taken it from.

“How unfortunate to have a detective that uses a gun more than his brain,” she raised her head and met his gaze head on. Like Delon had looked at Nakamori before, she now gazed at him in condescension. Turning on her heel she sauntered towards his owner before glancing back over her shoulder, “If you aren’t careful detective, you’ll soon fill a cell yourself. The next time you decide to shoot a gun in a room full of people think about the consequences first.” 

She turned her head back again and stopped in front of Belmont’s master. “Princess,” she nodded and handed over the cat before walking off. The Princess stared in mute shock at the spectacle, moving on instinct to accept the cat, her eyes still on the girl even after she had left the camera’s range of vision.

Delon stared in equal shock at the woman, girl really, who had single-handedly ruined his parade while Nakamori broke into a pleased grin. Even the officers around him had to hide a smile. It seemed not even a famous foreign detective could handle their boss’ daughter. 

_‘She’s still the same as ever,’_ a certain magician thought wryly as his best friend stopped beside him and crossed her arms in irritation. Her eyes flickered to her dad and she seemed worried so he couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?” 

Aoko sighed, “Tou-san’s been pretty down lately, and now he’s been taken off security. If that Delon actually did manage to do better than him Otou-san might-” she stopped. 

Kaito clenched his hands in his pockets, noticing her frown. He tried to cheer her up and so promptly put his foot in his mouth, “Oi, don’t look like that. If we’re talking about a hack inspector like your old man, it can’t be helped that he’s dropped. But then again, it’s Kid-sama, no one could catch him.” His words drew a narrow eyed glare that made him wince. 

“Hmph.” She turned her head away and Kaito could tell she was looking at Delon. “If that thief actually manages to get caught by that third rate blockhead I’ll break off his limbs and deliver him to the police myself.” 

Kaito imagined that for a minute, a beaten up Kid missing his arms and legs laying on Nakamori-keibu’s desk, and could barely hold back a shudder. He peeked at her expression and immediately shrank back. The last time she had that look on her face she’d kicked someone through a wall.

 _‘And people wonder why Kid doesn’t fear the police.’_ he thought wryly. He would, but only if it was Nakamori-san and not Nakamori-keibu leading them.

* * *

It was as he was walking alongside the river after school that he noticed a peculiar sight. Aoko’s dad sat on the embankment and was gazing down at the water. 

“Keibu?” The voice broke the man out of his reverie. Looking up, he saw a very familiar figure before him. 

“Kaito-kun?” With his messy dark hair and unique purple eyes, Nakamori would never have mistaken the boy for anyone else, even without his school uniform. 

“What’s wrong? Sitting here like this…” Kaito took a seat beside the man. 

“As we anticipated, Kaitou Kid sent a heist note.” He sighed.

“Oh, about the Duchy of Sabrina’s jewel exhibition-thing, right? I saw it on the news.” 

“The Duchy of Sabrina have taken over security this time. If that Delon-keiji makes me look like a fool, then I’ll be pulled off Kid’s task force. But then I’ll… I’ll- but I can’t figure him out for the life of me. His methods, his actions, everything. They-”

“Keibu,” the word came out surprised, and Kaito admitted that he felt a touch of respect for the man who was trying so hard to understand him. For most of his life Nakamori Ginzo had merely been Aoko’s father, a beloved figure in his own right, but confined to that position. But for his alter-ego, Nakamori Ginzo was Nakamori-keibu, the ill-tempered but passionate inspector who had made it his life’s mission to capture him.

“Sorry, Kaito-kun. I shouldn’t be complaining to you when this is none of your concern. Kid isn’t something you should worry about, and Aoko-” his voice cut off abruptly and Kaito’s head jerked to him, wondering what the man had been about to say. But he knew it wasn’t his place to ask. 

Still, his sudden mention of Aoko had caught his attention, like her name always did. A part of him still felt embarrassed for his words the previous day, but it had been too late to take the words back once he had said them. Still, he couldn’t get the image of her worried eyes out of his mind. For her who was usually so unflappable to be so worried concerned him.

And maybe if he helped Nakamori-keibu here, it would make Aoko feel better, too. At the very least he could make up for his words.

Suddenly Nakamori-keibu’s limbs jerked, as if a puppeteer that had suddenly decided to make use of him. His eyes gained new life, “That’s right, Kaito-kun. Will you show me a magic trick?” Ginzo asked him. 

“A- A magic trick?” 

Ginzo smiled, a father’s smile, “Aoko’s told me how amazing your magic tricks are.” It was a soft smile, one that many would have been surprised to see on the usually fierce inspector’s face. And many more would be equally surprised to know how similar it was to the one that graced his daughter’s usually aloof face. Kaito couldn’t help but soften at that. 

“All right then. I’ll show you a simple one.” He agreed. And with a flourish he held up five cards in each hand,”There are no gimmicks or contraptions. Please watch carefully.” Nakamori nodded grimly and he couldn’t help but grin at the man’s serious face before he made the cards disappear. 

“T-They’re gone?” 

“Here’s what incredible,” and with a flourish he made the cards reappear, much to the keiji’s shock. 

“But it’s actually not that impressive.” He held up his left hand, “I simply had to draw your attention to my left hand while my right hand was actually preparing for the next step.” When the hand came out of his pocket, the remaining cards reappeared. “I did it quickly so spectators wouldn’t notice. It’s essential for magicians.” 

He threw up his hands and the cards scattered. “Come to think of it, Kaitou Kid is a magician, isn’t he?” 

Nakamori lowered his head in concentration before understanding struck, _‘I see. Since he’s a magician, too, he’d also lure his opponents into another place.’_

“Magic tricks aren’t sorcery, Inspector. There really are gimmicks and contraptions.” Kaito explained warmly. He’d forgotten how nice it felt to simply sit down and discuss magic, even at its most basic levels. It had been something he’d done often with his dad, but afterwards, since he was studying by himself it hadn’t been something he had done able to do with others. 

He was broken out of his memories when Nakamori-keibu suddenly bowed in front of him, “Keibu?”

“Please Kaito-kun, won’t you come to the party with me?”

“To the party with you, Inspector?” Confusion rang though his voice.

“Only those who can perform magic tricks are allowed in. If you accompany me, I’ll be allowed in, too.” Ginzo looked up pleadingly. 

_‘If I cheer the inspector up, Aoko will be happier too… but what should I do?’_

“I’m begging you Kaito-kun.” Nakamori shook his shoulders. “That guy’s definitely going to show up tonight.” 

Kaito looked at him and sighed. In the end there wasn’t much of a choice.

* * *

The party was at a giant hall fashioned in a building with Neoclassical architecture. People milled around the grounds, which had been decorated for the occasion. Suits and dresses of all colors and styles mingled, some more stylish than others. 

_‘Of course, I would’ve come too, but to think I’m here with the Inspector.’_

“Don’t look so displeased, Kaito.” Kaito turned to the third member of their little group. In the midst of a menagerie of colors and designs, Aoko had chosen a sleeveless dark burgundy dress that fell to her knees. There wasn’t a single embellishment on it despite the quality of the fabric. 

“Is that really what you’re going to wear to a Princess’ party?” He sighed. It was a nice dress, if austere, but he would have thought going to a party hosted by _royalty_ required a more ostentatious piece.

“Does it matter?” She shrugged. It wasn’t like she could change now. He had to admit that she looked nice though. She hadn’t bothered with jewelry or makeup and had instead merely fixed her hair, which he guessed was done by a professional, or at least someone who knew how to style hair since he knew for a fact she didn’t. She managed to make the look seem simple and elegant rather than threadbare. 

“So, why are you here?” It wasn’t like she was a magician. And her being here meant he would have to take more precautions to avoid her. 

“Why?” She raised an eyebrow, “Does my presence bother you?” 

“Nooo,” it sounded more like a whine than a calm answer but he couldn’t be blamed for feeling exasperated by the extra work she had given him. And he remembered the suspicious look she had had when he had accidentally let go of the jewel and it had landed in the fish. Aoko would be much harder to shake off than her father. 

Suddenly, the gates opened and drew enough attention that her focus shifted to the crowd instead. His shoulders relaxed slightly once that piercing gaze was no longer on him. They had always been sharp but in the current circumstances they were downright uncomfortable. 

They were allowed to go inside. Only to balk at the sheer number of guards placed in the hall. Rather than a party it seemed like they were prisoners in a contained environment.

 _‘Oi, oi. Are they telling us to perform magic under such heavy guard?’_ While they noted the number of guards, Nakamori-keibu marched ahead to the ringleader. 

“Hey, you can’t assemble so many guards like this!” He ordered.

“Hold on a second, Otou-san,” Aoko called to him. Unfortunately, the man was too focused to hear her.

“The more guards you gather, the easier his tricks will go through.” Nakamori continued. 

“Why are you here in such a place, Nakamori-keibu?” Delon stepped forward. The two men faced off against each other like in an old western. 

“Hey Aoko,” Kaito mumbled into her ear. “The pressure’s getting to me. I need to go to the bathroom.” She turned to give him a glare but he was already gone. _‘Really, disappearing now only makes you more suspicious, idiot.’_

Though with the current situation she wouldn't be able to chase after him, something he had definitely taken advantage of. Sighing, she made her way over to her father, who had begun speaking again, “Some words of advice for you, Delon-keiji. Reduce the number of police officers immediately.” Or rather demanded. 

Delon laughed in his face. “To think I’m getting advice from a guy like you.”

“You don’t need this many people.” 

“What I don’t need the most is you.” 

They glared at each other, nose to nose as they tried to force the other to back off. The sound of heels drew their attention. Aoko advanced towards them, her expression unamused. “Gentlemen, if you’re quite done making scene,” she gestured to the people who were gawking at the two, “perhaps you’ll decide to settle this in a civil manner.” 

The two glanced around, averting their eyes from the steely gaze of the woman in front of them. Delon bit his tongue before he said anything, remembering the incident at the airport. He glanced at the Nakamori, she had saved him then too. Was there some relation between them? A subordinate perhaps?

“Is something the matter, Delon-keiji?” Even the Princess had noticed the commotion. Delon composed himself hastily as Nakamori rightened his tie. 

“No, everything is fine, Princess,” he reassured, glancing warily back at the girl who that dared to stand between them. 

But her attention had moved on from Delon to the other woman there. Even with the change of apparel, the princess recognized the vivid blue eyes of the girl who had rescued her cat. Her own eyes widened and a delighted smile crossed her face. 

As a princess she was used to sycophants currying her favor and at times even cunning nobles aiming for power. But it was the first time that she had met such an openly daring person.

Standing before her, the princess could see that she was beautiful. Not in the traditional Japanese way with her too angular features and too sharp eyes, but there was something in the way it all came together that drew the eye. Something that drew attention, some innate quality so few possessed.

“Ah, you were the one who saved my dear Belmont,” the princess hastily took the last few steps and took hold of her hands. “I am so very gratefully for your help.” 

Aoko blinked when gold invaded her line of sight and leaned back a bit when an eager face pressed close to her own. “Welcome to the party!” Her smile was radiant. 

“It’s a pleasure to be here, Ojou-sama,” she responded evenly. She nearly stumbled when the princess pulled her forward. 

“As a thank you for helping Belmont, I’ll show you around for the evening,” she said cheerily. One hand clenched around her new friend’s as she dragged the girl away. 

_‘Are you being thankful or do you need a companion?’_ Aoko thought dryly. She said nothing, but allowed the princess to drag her around. Instead, she gave the two dumbfounded men a warning look to behave. 

“-And you look stunning, Ojou-san. Your dress has a tasteful style to it. And the way you made Delon-keiji and that officer stand down. Are you a member of the Taskforce? You look so young.” She suddenly gasped. “Oh, I haven’t even asked for you name. How rude of me.” 

“It’s alright, Princess. And no, I’m not a member of the Taskforce. Nakamori-keibu, the man Delon-keiji was arguing with, is my father.” She bowed slightly. “I’m Nakamori Aoko, a pleasure.” 

“The pleasure is all mine,” Anne grinned, happy to have someone close to her own age at such an event. It would be nice to spent the party with someone and have fun rather than rot away in the room they had prepared for her. 

A sudden shout however, broke through the chatter, “It’s Kaitou Kid. Kid’s appeared.” 

Delon motioned to his officers immediately, “”Evacuate the princess. Terminate the party now!” 

Her father ran towards the doors, “Where’s Kid?” Delon followed him. “Oi, wait.” 

Anne gasped. “Eh? But I was just having fun! I don’t want to~” She dodged the officers’ arms and wrapped her own around Aoko and wouldn’t let go no matter how they tried to unwrap her hands. Since she was still their princess, they instead turned to Aoko to make her listen to reason. 

Aoko sighed at the sight, though seeing Anne’s pleading eyes, her eyes softened. “Ojou-sama, with the appearance of the criminal, it would be better for you to return to your rooms.” 

“But I don’t want to leave the party,” she complained. 

Aoko unwrapped Anne’s fingers from around her arm and instead held them in her hands, “I understand you don’t want to be locked inside a room just as you’ve finally been allowed to have some fun. However, we can’t compromise your safety.” 

“B-but, this is the only time I’ll be in Japan and afterwards I’ll have to go home.” There wasn’t any other option now that Kid really was after the gem. 

“After the heist is over, I’m sure you and I can meet, if only for the paperwork they have to file once it’s over,” she said. 

Anne’s eyes widened, “You promise?” 

Aoko nodded, “I promise.” Although it was unlikely they would have the princess do it herself. 

Anne finally allowed the guards to take her away. The entire time though, her eyes were on Aoko and she had a smile on her face. Aoko found her own expression softening at the sight. She really was too soft.

“Excuse me, Nakamori-san. We need to have you evacuate the premises as well. Only officers are allowed to be here.” One of Sabrina’s officers approached her, speaking in surprisingly good Japanese. From his words, she guessed he had heard her earlier conversation with the princess. 

“Of course,” she nodded in understanding. “Keep an eye on my father for me, will you?” 

“I understand,” he bowed and she allowed him to lead her out. She did note however, that the guards were more polite to her than they were to the other guests, and they even prevented others from crowding her. Perhaps because she seemed the least averse to following their orders. 

There really wasn’t a reason to remain inside. Without the height of a building to jump off of his hang glider would be useless so he would have to rely on a disguise to make it out of the building. She had already prepared and had her own men surround the perimeter with orders for contact borrowed from Shinichi’s own methods.

* * *

In a certain bathroom in a certain hallway, the two officers in charge of the operation found themselves questioning the officer who had been tied up for Kid’s disguise. 

“My clothes were taken.” He cried. 

“Where’s Kaitou Kid?” It had been noted before that when on a case Nakamori-keibu had a one-track mind. And this was the biggest case of his career.

“He’s already slipped himself into the party hall,” the junior officer answered. 

Delon grunted. “So he’s disguised as a police officer?” He turned to the officer behind him. “Go search!” 

“Roger!” 

The three men then turned and ran back into the room they had just come from. As such, they didn’t see the seemingly tied up officer stick is tongue out at them and climb out of the ropes. He then moved to a stall and it opened to show the true officer. 

Kid grinned at him, “Now, allow me to borrow your clothes for a bit.” And promptly began to cause chaos under the apparent order of Detective Delon. 

Inside the hall, Delon clenched his hands into a fist. With the number of officer around it would take forever to find Kid. 

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Nakamori mouthed off behind him. “With this many officers around, how could you possibly catch Kid?” 

“Why are you still here?”He pointed to the doors. “Unauthorized personnel are to leave immediately.”

Like attracted like indeed.

* * *

In another corner of the building, on the same floor the princess was, Kid stepped into the light disguised as Delon. 

“Listen up, Kid is in the dining hall. I’ll watch over the princess so make your way over there,” he ordered. The officers saluted and immediately headed to the elevator. 

Inside the room, Princess Anne lay on her bed and sighed. She had been looking forward to the party and she had even found a friend during her short stay. 

“This is so boring,” she slumped. “The party was just getting started. But now it feels like I’m being locked away in prison. Did that Kaitou Kid even show up?” She glanced down at her cat. “What do you think, Belmont?”

A sudden sound startled her into sitting up, “Who’s there?” Peering out, she saw that the corridor was empty. “What the, I don’t see anyone here. Where on earth did all those police officers get to?” 

She hmphed indignantly, remembering them as the ones who has ruined her fun, and flipped back onto the bed. 

“So it’s white, huh?” The unfamiliar voice, and the message they conveyed, made her sat up with a blush. 

“Who are you?” 

“I’m a thief.” And Kaitou Kid himself landed on the floor of her room. “I have arrived to accept your challenge.” As he approached, he conjured a rose and offered it to the blushing princess. 

To his surprise, rather than scowl at him, she swooned. “My, I appreciate your coming all the way here so much.” It drew him short as she continued, “I’m so glad I came to Japan. To think I actually got to see Kaitou Kid. Your fame has spread to even the Duchy of Sabrina.”

“Eto,” Kid scratched his cheek, wondering how to butt in. And how to react. 

“What do I do? What do I do?” She cheered. “I even have a fan site for you. Would you like to take a look?” She held up her laptop. 

“Your highness, I-” once again, his words got cut off by the exuberant princess. 

“Can I take a picture with you?” 

“Princess, what about the challenge?” The reaction he got was underwhelming to say the least. 

“Oh dear, I wouldn’t dream to challenge you.” She waved it off. “I’ve always been a faithful fan of yours.

“Do make yourself at home. How about a game of chess? I’m pretty good at it.” 

_‘Oi, oi.’_

“Oh, I know! We can meet your rival!” She clapped her hands in excitement. 

“My… rival?” 

“Of course. It’s that pretty girl from before, the cool one,” She said as if that cleared up everything. Seeing his silence she added, “Nakamori-keibu’s daughter.” 

He nearly choked when he heard that. 

_‘Oi, oi. Don’t go making assumptions like that. I don’t think I’d survive if that woman was my rival. And I’d rather not have to encounter her any more than necessary in this form.’_

She took his silence for confusion still and began speaking, her voice even more enthusiastic if possible, “She was so impressive at the airport wasn’t she? She just walked straight up to Detective Delon and took back Belmont. And you know, he even likes her.” She clasped her hands together. 

“And she did it today, too. Did you see the way she was dressed? She looked so elegant, didn’t she?” She gave him a thoughtful frown. “You know, Nakamori-san was supposed to accompany me for the evening. But your arrival made me have to leave.”

 _‘That’s for the better. I don’t want to have to go through her.’_ His lips quirked. _‘Though it looks like Aoko is expanding her fanclub again.’_ Now to stop the princess in her tangent. 

“Your highness!” He knelt before her and kissed her hand to gain her attention. “Regretfully not much time remains. Regarding the jewel resting on your chest… please consider bequeathing it to this humble thief.” 

I see, but you know, this gem is a precious gem received from my father.” She hesitated. “I’m reluctant to just hand it over.” 

“I am only borrowing it for a short while. I shall return it to your highness in a timely manner.” He smiled and bowed, making sure to maintain eye contact with her. “Please have faith in me. A humble thief tells no lies.”

The sound of a cat purring drew their attention. Looking down the princess could see that her cat had wrapped itself around the thief’s legs. “Belmont. My, this is incredible. Belmont almost never gets attracted to anyone but me.” And yet it had happened twice in this trip. Kneeling down, she picked up the purring kitten.“This cat is my only friend. No matter where I go, we are never separated.”

When she looked up, her eyes met Kid’s own. His gaze was soft with understanding. He understood the words she hadn’t said and the feelings in them. 

Ever the entertainer, and always one to make others feel better, Kid took her hand. 

“That’s right, Princess. Would you like to participate in my magic show?” The princess’ eyes widened in interest and for a moment she reminded him of another blue eyed girl. The same awe of magic, the same reaction whenever he would successfully pull off a new trick. 

* * *

Aoko stepped out and sighed as she looked around her. Since her father was an officer, even if he had been restricted access, he had been allowed to enter first and so she had forgotten the sheer number of people that had waited to get in. The inside of the ballroom had been near empty as the officers had restricted access to more than a few people at a time, and thoroughly checked their wares and identities before allowing them in. 

Now she was once again outside and reminded of how much she missed the much quieter ballroom. Even if the princess had been chatty it was nothing compared the the sheer noise that the irritated crowd created. There were people who were angry over the fuss created, those indignant over being denied access, and Kid fans eager to see their idol. Together, the created a cacophony that belonged in a zoo. Officers ran about trying both to assuage the crowd, merely adding to the noise.

As it was, perhaps the only thing that could cut through the chatter of the crowd was a gun. And when it sounded she immediately knew who had fired it. It hit the target, a Kid dummy hanging from a mini-blimp and caused the entire thing to explode. It created a giant cloud as it did, with confetti bursting out like rain. 

_‘That man really needs to learn when it is appropriate to fire a gun,’_ she thought. If he had shot Kid, the sight of the thief crashing to the ground and stained with red would only have incited panic. Part of her wondered if he even knew what he was doing. 

And in the midst of it all a Kid ballon floated above them, carrying two paper fans and sticking his tongue out cheekily at his audience. How appropriate, the rowdy audience below, the infuriated detective to the side, and the untouchable phantom arrogantly gazing down at them. 

Sighing, she crossed her arms and moved to the side of the building, one where there were few people. In fact, it seemed almost deserted with how few people were there. 

Minutes later, Kid had, for some inane reason, decided to stand above a window sill with Lots of Sunshine in Paris hanging from his foot. She took a moment to comprehend what she was seeing before Detective Delon rushed out, his speed causing him to fall out the window. He screamed as he fell but he stopped suddenly. It seemed his suit had managed to get caught in the light post. She eyed the human yoyo in sheer disbelief. At that moment Kid looked down and caught her eye, his expression turned to shock for a brief moment before he grinned and disappeared through the window. 

If nothing else Kid had prepared her the perfect opportunity to chat. How could she bear to waste it?

“Delon-keiji,” the greeting made the man turn to look at her, and once he saw her immediately turn red. She couldn’t help but smile at the spectacle. “It seems you’ve managed to get yourself into a rather interesting situation.” 

“Get me down,” he ground out. She raised an eyebrow but gestured to one of the men her father had stationed around the building. He obediently came closer, and his eyes widened when he caught sight of the detective hanging like wet laundry in front of him. There were a few other officers near enough to see what had happened and they moved closer as well. 

No matter what he was thinking or how skilled of a shooter he was there were some times he would have to keep his gun in it’s holster. She had found it alarming at the airport, when he had risked the ire of a princess, but if he had hit her father, not only would he have run the risk of seriously injuring him, but the threat of an international incident, one which could ruin his career. And in front of a princess as well. It had been a miracle her bodyguards hadn’t taken it as an assassination attempt.

And again at the party, if he had managed to shoot Kid, then the injured thief would have fallen into the midst of the guests. In both cases, he was lucky that the crowd hadn’t turned into a frightened mob. And yet he didn’t seem to realize the significance of his actions. 

Which meant the man was a loose canon. If he wasn’t stopped now who knew what kind of chaos the fool would cause in the future. She had looked into his records before, after the night at the airport and had noted how many close calls he’d had, in collateral damage, civilian casualties, and recklessly endangering officers. It was a bloody miracle the man still had a job. 

“It looks like you’ve failed, Detective,” she crossed her arms. “I take it you’ve learned a lesson in humility as well?” 

“The most arrogant person here is you!”

Aoko smirked at him, and took an inordinate amount of pleasure in his expression when he blanched, “Yes, but for good reason.” 

She turned to the man she had motioned for, “Let him hang.” He gave her a wide eyed look and froze as he looked between Delon and Aoko. Finally his eyes landed on her and he swallowed, wisely choosing to listen. “It’ll teach him some humility. Perhaps the night air will even cool his head.” 

She turned.

“Once he gets down, inform me,” she ordered one of her father’s men quietly. “I need to have a _talk_ with him about when it is appropriate to fire a gun.” 

And left. 

She had never been the most selfless of individuals, and regardless of Delon’s reckless nature, her father was her first priority.

Since the majority of the guests had been pushed to the front gardens she assumed that was where her father would be as well. She was right, and it seemed like she had arrived just in time to witness her father crossing swords with Kid. Or in this case words. 

Kid stood on top of the giant crescent moon the decorators had thought would be a good decoration for the party. “And on top of that you managed to ambush me here,” he was saying. His smooth baritone echoed across the grounds and Aoko wondered when he had attached a microphone to his suit. 

He touched the tip of his hat as he continued, “Unlike another detective I know, who uses his gun instead of his brains. You’re making my job a lot harder than it should be. I hope they take you off of my case.” 

Her eyes narrowed at that. It was a wonderful coincidence for Kid to be delivering a speech, to the entire party at that, praising her father’s capabilities in the guise of complaint merely a day after he had been warned by his superiors. 

No, Kid was oddly noble for a criminal, but he should have no reason to make sure the man in charge of catching him kept his job. She wasn’t surprised he knew though. Kaitou Kid was renowned for his in depth knowledge of the police force and his targets, whether that be because he or an accomplice worked there had been speculated but no conclusions drawn. 

“Sure! I’ll catch you right now and end the case tonight.” Her dad retorted. A part of her admired his drive. The other part wondered if he hadn’t caught the subtext. Well, it was fine if he was oblivious to Kid’s scheming so long as it worked. 

Kid laughed. It was a charming, practiced laugh that was meant to draw in his audience, “That’s not going to happen. Farewell.” And he was gone in a burst of smoke. 

And merely moments later, her dad pulled out the gem from his breast pocket. Aoko, who had seen the mound of tackled police officers earlier, assumed Kid had managed to sneak it into his suit in there before escaping. She was almost impressed. 

“So you managed to retrieve it. Good job, keibu.” An officer congratulated her bewildered father. He rubbed the back of his head as they began gathering around. 

“They’re right. Good job, Otou-san,” she made her way forward and squeezed his hand. And quickly and quietly removed the little speck on the back of the gem.

“Aoko,” he grinned at her and her eyes softened. It seemed his mood had improved at least.

“Oi! Aoko!,” the sudden grating voice made her turn around and she found Kaito looking around, calling for them. She turned and waved to him. 

He made his way over, “Geez, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“Who was the one who had to go to the bathroom?” She raised an eyebrow. “It’s fortunate you didn’t have to perform if the mere thought sent you into such dire straits.” She added dryly. 

His eyes twitched. “Oh come on. I just had a stomach ache is all.” 

“Right.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

She lifted her head haughtily and sniffed, “Nothing, nothing at all.” 

He scowled at her and for a moment she just looked at him before remembering, “Thank you.” 

Lavender eyes widened, “For what? I didn’t even do the stupid magic tricks.” 

“Tou-san told me about how you showed him a magic trick the other day. It really seemed to cheer him up.” 

Kaito just stared at her for a moment before he turned red, “Ahou! I was just thinking he looked pitiful like that! You know how he is, such a third rate-” he trailed off when instead of a frigid glare like he expected, her eyes softened. The look on her face was sincere gratitude and he found himself at a loss. But seeing her face, he found his own expression softening as well. 

As he turned away though, Aoko couldn’t help but glance at him. She hadn’t forgotten about the incident with the fish, where it seemed Kaito had some unknown association with Kid and his sudden disappearance today only made previous events more suspicious. 

And again with the Clocktower. For some reason Kid had decided to go after it instead of a more famous tower, such as the Bell Tree Tower. With his reputation for flamboyance she couldn’t imagine why he would be interested in a little known tower. One that just so happened to hold importance to her. 

And Kaito.

As the constant companion of an aspiring detective, Shinichi had pounded ‘Correlation is not causation’ into her head from a relatively young age. Coincidences happened more often in real life than they did in books after all. But it was thrice now that Kaito had behave suspiciously, and due to Kid. She had no idea how he was related to Kid, but it seemed more and more likely that he had some affiliation with the thief. 

Unbidden, the memory of how an officer had proposed that Kid, or one of his accomplices, worked with or were affiliated with the police force came to mind. If Kaito really was one of Kid’s accomplices then he would have ample things to tell him, considering who her father was. Still, it was hard to conceive Kaito being the confederate of a wanted criminal. 

_‘I swear, if it’s something ridiculous like comparing their prowess, I’m going to break his legs.’_ Kaito shivered suddenly. At least his self preservation instincts were present, even if not completely intact. 

When her attention had shifted though, Kaito glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She had quickly given her father back the gem he had wanted to show her so proudly, and he couldn’t stop the slight smile when he noticed that it no longer had the tiny addition to the back. 

He had first noticed it when the princess had given him the gem. Knowing her, Aoko had given pinned it on the jewel just before the guards had dragged the princess off. In all the chaos it would be unlikely that anyone would check the jewel, especially when her father and Delon had chased off after him instead. And she had placed it in a little niche that was hard to see from the side, with a tiny bug that he would never had seen had he not been purposefully looking for it. 

Despite that inconvenience it had caused Nakamori-keibu, it had been lucky that Delon had brought his own men. And despite his own distaste for the detective, he knew that it was probably the only reason Aoko hadn’t been inside and directing the officers against him. 

Still, her placing the bug on the gem had startled him for a moment. With how she usually preferred to stay on the sidelines in Kudo’s cases (much to the latter’s complaint and his secret relief) and her own laissez-faire attitude to her father’s cases, he hadn’t expected her to actively pursue him. 

Or wouldn’t if Nakamori-keibu hadn’t been caught in the middle of this. It was also why he’d been extra careful in this heist. After the Clocktower heist, he knew not to underestimate her when she became invested. It was also why he had specifically planned a public announcement. But even if he hadn’t intended to make the declaration in front of the crowd, he would never have dared face her directly. 

At that moment, Aoko glanced back at him and he froze, their eyes locked until she tilted her head thoughtful and moved back towards him. Though she wasn’t smiling, there was an amused light in her eyes, and her face seemed softer. 

“You’re not going to get him?” he nodded towards the green clad man standing in the middle of his men, sheepishly receiving praise and congratulations. 

She raised an eyebrow, “He’s probably going to celebrate with them so he’s forgotten all about us. Besides, with the stress he was under before, he might as well have some fun.” Who, exactly, was the parent here?

“Oh,” Kaito nodded, suddenly realizing that if her dad wasn’t there it would just be the two of them. 

“Come on.” Before he could say anything further Aoko grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the crowd. He couldn’t help but smile when he noticed how people cleared a path as she cut a line through the crowd. 

“Where are we going?” 

She didn’t pause her brisk pace.“Food. I didn’t eat yet and the party ended too early so I’m famished.”

“What are we getting?” The area was spacious enough that he could move to walk beside her instead, though he didn’t tug his wrist out of her grasp and she didn’t let go. 

“Ramen,” she glanced at him, the light of the moon making the blue in her eyes glow. “It’s been a while since I had some and apparently the stalls near here have wonderful ramen.”

“I want dessert,” he added just to be a brat.

She raised an eyebrow, “Ramen and ice cream?” 

“There’s nothing better.”

“Sure, but you’re treating.”

“What? Why?” He protested and couldn’t help but frown.

“It was your idea.” 

“Well, I was the one to make your dad feel better, wasn’t I? Aren’t you supposed to treat me?” He whined, though not actually upset. If anything, he couldn’t help but smile at her improved mood.

They had finally managed to get onto the street. It was deserted due to the princess’ party closing off every street in a half kilometer radius and so they managed to find their way to the sidewalk easily enough. 

He glanced at her. With her hair tied back in an updo and her gown, she looked beautiful. The moonlight streamed past the trees and bounced off the skyscrapers, giving the atmosphere an ethereal look. In addition to the deserted streets, it felt almost as though they had fallen into another world. 

The tug on his wrist drew him back to reality and he noted that he had fallen a bit behind. He sped up to match her pace, and a wry smile curled over his lips. Even in the middle of another world, Aoko held the same undaunted attitude as always, breaking through the light fog and murky night like a beam of moonlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, you have no idea how much trouble this chapter gave me. I still don't really like it but I finally got it finished so I'm posting it. I didn't add the last part about Aoko telling them about Conan but I've been pushing that off since September so I'm just gonna post this and have that next chapter. I'll probably go back and tweak this later but for now I have just decided to post something.
> 
> AN: I've noticed that a lot of people in the fandom are very supportive of Kaito, and that's not a bad thing, especially since I like him too, but we have a bad habit of thinking that Kaito's an infallible person. He's not. He's a teenager. He's kind of awkward with his feelings and he can't show his affection straightforwardly. So a lot of the time he ends up sniping at Aoko and mocking her when he actually cares a lot for her. We as the audience can see all he's doing in the background, but Aoko isn't seeing any of this, all she's seeing is his bad attitude and sometimes, sometimes, he'll do something nice. So yeah, just wanted to break the double standard a bit, since they all have flaws, perhaps not ones Aoyama put there intentionally or even thought was a big deal, but they have real consequences. Just noting, he literally calls her ugly, flat, mocks her appearance and attractiveness to guys in various ways, and is often scalding with her. That's really not the kind of thing you want to deal with as a teenage girl, when your confidence is already pretty low (and canon-Aoko definitely has confidence issues). So yeah, Kaito can be a bit of an ass. And I thought I needed to portray that since it's something that is a part of his character design, for better or worse (definitely worse).
> 
> AN 2: So yeah, I kind of combined both animes. It worked better this way than with my original idea which wouldn't have gotten the right interaction between Delon, Anne, and Aoko.
> 
> AN 3: So it was as I was writing this that I realized that Delon is caricature of a foreign detective, what with how gun happy the west is, but I thought I kind of had to bring it down a bit, cause Aoyama has a habit of stretching things a bit too far into the ridiculous sometimes so yeah, consequences again; also, Delon was kind of an asshole and I was irritated by it so I dealt with it
> 
> AN 4: What do you guys think of Aoko's character so far? I've managed to get a rough sketch of her character so far and it's vastly different from canon and it's not really going to change so if you don't like it this probably isn't the story for you since I wanted an unapologetically badass female lead. And no, her badassery won't go down once she starts dating Kaito.
> 
> AN 5: I've tweaked the previous chapters to align more with Aoko's personality since it's definitely gone through some changes as I've developed this more; I might tweak it again but her personality right now is pretty solid so I probably won't change it much besides making it a bit more consistent

**Author's Note:**

> So this story just came to me one day because I was irritated by how Aoyama has so many awesome female characters but the male leads’ love interests are clueless; it’s the kind of story where if it focused just on the romance between them, without the background, then people would ship them more. I just wanted at least one of them to be more involved;  
> Yeah Ginzo is really optimistic about having kids, but he doesn’t really know what he’s getting into either. But does anyone? *shrugs*


End file.
